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S1, E13: Gatlinburg's Real Estate Renaissance

With Jason White

This episode of For the Love of Gatlinburg features Jason White of Century 21 Realty. It delves into Gatlinburg's rich history, real estate development, and community spirit, offering listeners a comprehensive look at the area's evolution and charm. Jason White, a long-time resident and real estate professional, shares his personal journey and insights into Gatlinburg's growth. He discusses the origins of Chalet Village, developed by Aetna Insurance Company and later managed by his parents, which pioneered short-term rentals in the 1980s. White's career progression from folding sheets to overseeing a team at Century 21 mirrors the area's development. The episode covers significant events shaping Gatlinburg's landscape, including the 2016 fires that devastated Chalet Village and led to rebuilding with stricter codes. White also highlights the Highlands Project, a luxury development offering unobstructed views of Gatlinburg and Mount Le Conte, emphasizing the town's evolving accommodation offerings. Throughout the podcast, White stresses the importance of responsible development and community preservation. He discusses efforts to maintain Gatlinburg's integrity through preservation of historic buildings, wildlife management (particularly bear interactions), and promoting investments that contribute to the town's legacy. The episode concludes with investment advice and encouragement for listeners to engage with Gatlinburg's ongoing story, whether as visitors or potential investors.

[0:09] Speaker A (Tom): Welcome to for the Love of Gatlinburg, the podcast where we celebrate the charm, the history, and the vibrant community of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I'm your host, Tom Goodwin, and I hope you'll join me each week as I bring you stories that connect the past with the present as we explore the people that make Gatlinburg a beloved destiny nation and where every story is a piece of our mountain heritage. On today's episode, I'm excited to join with Jason white of century 21. If you are familiar with Chalet Village, you know that Jason has had quite an impact on this area as a leading realtor. He moved to Gatlinburg when he was 8 years old, and I'm excited for you to hear his story. So join with me as we dive into the heart of Gatlinburg together. Well, today I'm excited to have on the podcast a local favorite real estate agent mogul within the community who has really made an impact on the Chalet Village area and then the broader Sevier county area through real estate, and that is Jason White. So welcome, Jason, to the podcast. Thank you. [1:14] Speaker B (Jason): Nice to meet you. [1:15] Speaker A: Glad. Glad to have you. Now, your story in Gallatin Burke doesn't go all the way back to the very beginning, very beginning of your life, but as a young child, your family moved to Gatlinburg and you've lived here in the area for. [1:27] Speaker B: We moved here in 1982. [1:30] Speaker A: Okay. And you've been here ever since? [1:32] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I actually live in Knoxville. [1:35] Speaker A: Okay. [1:35] Speaker B: But my business is here. [1:36] Speaker A: Your business is here. So tell us about moving to Gatlinburg when you were 8 years old. [1:42] Speaker B: Well, my folks, I bought business. I bought Chicago properties. It was called in Chile Village Real Estate at the time, which was Aetna's. Aetna Insurance Company's original company when they developed the neighborhood that we now know is Shelley Village, which by the Oakley Drive, starting at the spur and all the way over to Ski Mountain Road and traffic by 10. So it's basically the entire mountain above Gatlinburg that was developed by Edna as an investment, and then they sold most of the lots and then they liquidated the business and what was left of the lots and my folks, that's how they got involved. They picked it up at that point and moved to Sierra from Morristown, Tennessee. [2:26] Speaker A: Okay. So a lot of people know where Chalet Village is. A lot of repeat guests. This is the first place where the Chalet name recognition came, and obviously the name neighborhood being Chalet Village. It's Right up Ski Mountain Road, as you said, all the way over to the spur around Wylie Oakley. I wonder how many lots there are in the Chalet Village area. [2:49] Speaker B: Ken Webster could tell you exactly, but it's around 1600. [2:52] Speaker A: 1600, yeah. [2:53] Speaker B: It's dense. That's a lot. It's a lot of structures. Plus multi family sites. [2:58] Speaker A: Yes. And so back in the 80s when you moved here, this was about the only area that was developed with vacation homes. [3:06] Speaker B: It really was. Yeah. It started it all. In Gatlinburg and Segura county, it was the first short term rentals, what we call them now. But that wasn't a term in those days. [3:14] Speaker A: No, they were overnight rentals. Overnight rentals and mostly two night stays or three night stays and not throughout the entire year. So seasonal. [3:24] Speaker B: But of course Oak Gallenburg was built in the 60s. Right. So that was a big component, the tramway. So there was certainly an effort to make it a yield round destination. [3:32] Speaker A: So where did you live when you moved here as an 8 year old? [3:35] Speaker B: Not far from here. I could walk there from where we're sitting, just over here. [3:40] Speaker A: Okay. So we were. We're up at WY Oakley and Ski View Drive. People know where the water tank is. It's kind of an icon, maybe an eyesore for some people. They painted it recently a nicer, richer color green. It's a much. We asked for a better shape, agree to match the Mountain Laurel brand and they complied, which was really great. I don't know if that's really what happens. Yes, but you grew up on Campbell Leed and I'm sure you did you stay in the same. [4:06] Speaker B: Not really. We were just there briefly. We were renting a house and then we moved Skeevy Drive, which we're at the intersection, as you just said, of Ski Drive. We moved to windswept condos. [4:16] Speaker A: Okay. [4:17] Speaker B: Which my dad at the time was involved with the development of that. So that's what why we ended up living there. Which was great because the kids on both sides of the condos became great lifelong friends and still are friends. [4:30] Speaker A: So that's where you learned to ride a bike or where you learned to play around, get in trouble. Exactly. What did you do as an 8 year old, 9 and 10 year old in Gatlinburg back in the 80s? [4:41] Speaker B: We converted our BMX bikes to downhill bikes. So we had these pegs on the back and we lowered the hand handlebars and seats. And we would start at the top of Skeevy Drive and end up at the bottom of Ski Mountain Road. [4:52] Speaker A: No way. [4:53] Speaker B: And the maintenance guys would bring us back and let us do it again. [4:56] Speaker A: Was there much traffic? [4:57] Speaker B: There wasn't, no. [4:58] Speaker A: Everything paved? [4:59] Speaker B: Everything was paved though. [5:00] Speaker A: Okay. [5:01] Speaker B: Yeah. My buddy that grew up on this street, his. Eric Embry. Is his name Jim Emery? [5:07] Speaker A: Yes. [5:07] Speaker B: And Pity Emory are his parents. Jim is an architect. He's deceased now, but was an architect. Well known architect. And. [5:13] Speaker A: And Penny still lives in the house. [5:14] Speaker B: Penny still lives in the house. It was built in 67, so when they moved here, it was a gravel road. They were the first house on Skeevy Drive. [5:21] Speaker A: Yeah. That's great. I know. My wife's parents were one of the first homes built right up on Wy Oakley. And it was gravel at that time. Had to have four wheel drive. [5:31] Speaker B: Ralph and Dot, right? [5:32] Speaker A: Yeah, Ralph and Dot. Eg. So they always had a Subaru forever because four wheel drive. And they would help out the other people that own vacation homes. And they were private vacation homes. There wasn't a lot of. In the 60s there. There weren't vacation rental management companies. They were maybe just beginning to start. So your parents took over Chalet Village and. Which is concentrated in the Chalet Village area. Mount Laurel was a friendly competitor, very friendly in the market. And I think one thing that's really unique about that is both family owned, operated, and really servicing the owners, you know, in the community. [6:15] Speaker B: Yeah, that was a really important, I think calling for both companies was to really take care of the folks that own the houses that didn't live here and couldn't see after them themselves. [6:23] Speaker A: So you think about the vacation rental industry. There's been incredible changes over the last 50 years. And I know that we. Mount Laurel started in 72 and Chalet Village started before that. But since you've been in really close. [6:37] Speaker B: At the same time. [6:38] Speaker A: Right? Really, really close. I think they were the first three cabin rental companies. And everyone always says to us, so you're an Airbnb. I'm like, well, we predate Airbnb about 45 years. [6:50] Speaker B: Yeah, that term. I know. It's sort of annoying for old timers like us to hear that, you know. [6:54] Speaker A: And you think of the whole aspect of hospitality. So as a child growing up with parents that owned and managed a vacation rental company, what. What were some of the ways that you got involved as a child in the business? [7:08] Speaker B: Early, I think eighth grade, I was already working there. So. And have since. [7:13] Speaker A: And what did you do when you. [7:15] Speaker B: First started working there? I folded sheets and towels. [7:17] Speaker A: Okay. [7:18] Speaker B: In the laundry room with. With Faye and Tammy. And we Watch their stories all day. They're soap operas. [7:27] Speaker A: We've folded sheets and towels, have the box TV set up there, the laundry. [7:33] Speaker B: Box fans, because there was no air conditioning in the laundry room. Wow. [7:36] Speaker A: And that was located where the current cabins for you? [7:39] Speaker B: Yeah, lower left side of that building. [7:42] Speaker A: Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. I remember my wife saying she cleaned plenty of homes and folded plenty of towels and never knew how to. I've never figured out how to fold fitted sheets. [7:53] Speaker B: I'm the designated fitted sheet folder now. I've got a lot of experience. [7:58] Speaker A: You keep doing that, so that is awesome. So tell me, how has your career progressed, you know, since getting involved in vacation rentals and moving to Gatlinburg? Where. Where has the progress of your career led you? Led you? [8:12] Speaker B: I like to do design, build things, sort of. So I started off, you know, as a single agent, then an agent with an assistant, and then an agent with an assistant, a buyer's agent. Now there's seven of us. So we're a small little boutique operation, pretty self contained or like a little family. And I'm more or less oversee the operations and each agent has sort of their specialty that they like to do. But I like the development side of things and the design build side of things. So lately the thing I've been working on most has been the Highlands project. [8:45] Speaker A: Over here on Candle Leave the condos. [8:47] Speaker B: Is that right? [8:48] Speaker A: Exactly. And Mike and Cindy Warner were managers of that. [8:51] Speaker B: They were, yeah. [8:52] Speaker A: Mike shared with us in a previous podcast about kind of stumbling into being the manager of the Highlands condominiums. And I remember visiting them in their little office there back in the 90s. [9:04] Speaker B: Right. [9:05] Speaker A: And now that burned down in the fire. Fires. But tell us about that development now. It's. It's pretty incredible. Well, you know, I'm glad you brought. [9:11] Speaker B: Mike up because he's an important part of the history of that site and that development and really helped make it a destination for all the years that it was around before it burned. I believe it went up. I think it was finished in 84. The first phase, which is the phase that we just finished. The new phase would be phase one. There's two more phases to come. The previous development was basically done in three phases as well, but I'm not sure exactly when. Mike, you said in the 90s, but he created something pretty special. People would come year after year after year with their families. And we've heard those stories over and over again on the phone and through email and social media requirements while we've been involved with the construction, which has been about two and a half year process, so many people have been anxious to come back again with their families and relive those memories. And a lot of the people that bought condos actually are people that spent. Like there was a guy my age that bought a condo because his dad and his mom and his brother would come and stay there every summer. And so he wants to carry the torch, so he bought one. [10:20] Speaker A: That's great. The views are the same. [10:22] Speaker B: The views are the same and in my opinion the best that you're going. [10:25] Speaker A: To find anywhere, totally unobstructed. [10:27] Speaker B: And you know, this is basically a very similar view just a little bit higher. But you get a great Gatlinburg view from that site too. Direct city view. I mean you can see people walking on the street, which is pretty unusual. [10:38] Speaker A: That is, that is great. Good city view. And the Mount Lecant view, right, which is amazing. [10:42] Speaker B: And you're at the park boundary, so it's protected the view. [10:45] Speaker A: So how are those, the new condos different from the old condos? [10:50] Speaker B: So Community Tectonics did the architecture for the original building. Locals would know that as Hubert Bebb's company, he's a pretty well known regional architect that started in the 50s, maybe the 40s even and built a large commercial firm, Tectonics. They did City hall, they did the original Highlands. And part of the aesthetic was, was basically rooted in the mid century modern movement. So the buildings would tend to sort of hover over the site with steep roof pitches. And this building has a completely different design aesthetic. It's more vertical, but in so doing they were able to lift the ceiling heights up to 9 and 10ft and really get the, get the headers above the ridgeline of Mount lacotte. So when you walk in, it's just a big frame to view my mountain. It's really dramatic. The quality's top notch. A lot of unseen things that went into that, that keep those units basically soundproof from one to the other. [11:53] Speaker A: That's, it's exciting and it's all those details that people don't understand but they appreciate once they come into this space. The aesthetics of it, the views, the eyesight, the lines, and it's pretty amazing. I've not been in there personally. We're hoping to get a tour of the Highlands condos and, and get in there and to see those and to provide something that's a really exceptional luxury quality vacation for Gatlinburg. So luxury and Gatlinburg often don't go together, but we've seen a lot of changes. They do now in the last years, that last 10 years or so, especially since the fires. A lot of the new rebuilds there. We have pushed the limits on what luxury is, that's for sure. The opportunities for people and new people are discovering Gatlinburg and they're like, oh, I had no idea there was this quality of accommodations within the community. So we'd love to have properties like the Highlands. [12:48] Speaker B: Yeah, it's nice. [12:49] Speaker A: Condominiums to. To create. Create that sense of wow. [12:53] Speaker B: And another family business too, the ladies. So that. That's nice as well. I mean, it's means a lot to them and it shows. [13:00] Speaker A: Yes, I would agree. Think about family business and you growing up in the family business, folding sheets and towels and going to houses. Probably that Mystic Cleaning. And then you have to go clean them and address a guest. [13:12] Speaker B: I had to do that. Yeah. [13:16] Speaker A: So tell me about your childhood. You. Did you go to gp? [13:20] Speaker B: Yeah, Phi Beta Phi. And then when. When I first came here, I went to PI beta 5. It wasn't going quite so well, the transition, because my grandmother basically was. She was the librarian in my previous school, so I kind of had her under her wing. And then like going on my own at PI Phi was a little bit of a tough transition. So my folks put me in a little schoolhouse up in Norton Creek called Greenbrier Academy. You ever heard of that? I haven't the Heins, Doug Heinson, heard of him. [13:49] Speaker A: Is it still in operation? [13:51] Speaker B: No. So Doug Hindson owned that entire watershed, basically that's now owned by Earl Worsham. And that. That was the Heinson estate. He inherited it from his father, who was a timber and paper guy, and his wife started a little private school. So I went to school with a bunch of locals that you would know, like Ned Vickers, for instance, and several others. And it was like 35 kids in one one room little log cabin on the creek. [14:21] Speaker A: That's probably what people think education would be. That's amazing. [14:25] Speaker B: I was really lucky to get to do that. [14:26] Speaker A: And how many years were you there? [14:28] Speaker B: That was two years. Then back to PI Phi in eighth grade and then Gatlinburg, Pittman after that. [14:32] Speaker A: So the elementary school went K through 8, right. At that point. And it was a big. PI Beta Phi was begun in 1912 when the PI Beta Phi sorority, as a part of their philanthropy, did a school settlement. [14:45] Speaker B: Right. [14:45] Speaker A: To bring education to the Appalachian Mountains. [14:49] Speaker B: Interesting history, isn't it? It's fascinating. [14:51] Speaker A: There's so much history and so much still to learn. And then you went to GP and then what. What happened? [14:56] Speaker B: University of Tennessee after that. And then straight year after I graduated. [15:01] Speaker A: And what was your first job here. [15:03] Speaker B: In Gallon, I started my business right away. [15:05] Speaker A: You started really? Estate right away as a branch of Chalet Village? [15:08] Speaker B: Well, actually, what my folks did in 82 was they. They changed the name. The real estate farm was Shallow Village Real estate. It became century 21, four seasons at that point. [15:20] Speaker A: Okay. [15:20] Speaker B: They. They had a Four Seasons branch in Pigeon Forge and in downtown Gatlinburg Direct. So they opened a third one in the Shallow Village building. [15:28] Speaker A: So you've seen a lot of change in real estate estate. What is that? How many years is that since 1982? [15:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [15:36] Speaker A: 42 years of real estate growth. Some stagnation. Yeah. [15:42] Speaker B: I mean, I made it through the recession, so I kind of give myself a pat on the back for that because that was a really difficult period. A lot of people abandoned the business during that period because it's tough sledding. [15:53] Speaker A: So if you would look back to your 19 or maybe a 2006 self, you know, before the recession, what was the market like at that point? [16:03] Speaker B: It was really. It was really strong. It was. It was. It was a great market to be in. Actually, at that time, it was really strong. A lot of spec houses, a lot of construction. The income was good, the visitation was good. We were starting to get known nationally as an investment opportunity. [16:21] Speaker A: And then the recession hit. And. And what was your experience during that time? [16:25] Speaker B: Actually cost more to run my business than the revenue it brought in for several years. [16:31] Speaker A: It's a challenging time. [16:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [16:33] Speaker A: Yeah. What motivated you to keep going on through that? [16:36] Speaker B: That's the only thing I really knew how to do. So I just kept grinding. [16:40] Speaker A: And it paid off. [16:41] Speaker B: Yeah, it did, thankfully. [16:42] Speaker A: Yeah, that is. That is great. So then we make it through into about 2012, things start. Started picking up and looking good. It was still a great market to invest in. [16:53] Speaker B: 11 and 12. There were great opportunities. And then, you know, of course, it really blew up in 20. We didn't see that coming. You know, I don't think any economist predicted that a pandemic would result in a real estate boom like it did. [17:06] Speaker A: But that's what I know before the real estate boom was the fires. [17:10] Speaker B: And that's true because that really is a big component to. To why it blew up, I think in the 20th, in 1920, here locally. Just because we had an environment of new construction that we wouldn't have had otherwise. On. On the premium. Best lots. [17:26] Speaker A: Yes. That had Expansive views. [17:29] Speaker B: Right. [17:29] Speaker A: That some of the trees were downed and were the fire and created a lot more expansive views and opportunities. I do remember driving around Chalet Village north north and. And losing my bearings and for not remembering where I was because there were so many homes. [17:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [17:46] Speaker A: And structures that gauged your. You know, turn right here. And obviously there's the roads and the street signs. But the being completely wiped out and a clean, blank slate. [17:58] Speaker B: It was disorienting. [17:59] Speaker A: It was very disorienting. [18:01] Speaker B: I mean, it was a war zone. But like the house that I lived in for eight years on Shelley Village Boulder are is along with all the other houses around it were gone. [18:09] Speaker A: I think like three survived. [18:11] Speaker B: My brother's house was one of them. Surprisingly. It was sort of just in a little nook and the flames flew over it, burned everything around it. [18:20] Speaker A: Like 500 homes in Chalet Village. [18:22] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [18:25] Speaker A: But I think there were like three that survived. And it's like we had no idea which one. [18:29] Speaker B: Yeah. There was one in Wyokley that bizarrely intact. As you come up. Wiley Oakley. [18:33] Speaker A: The one they painted blue. Some of the frequent guests would Mike, remember which one that is. It might be a different color right now, but yeah, it's an exciting time in light of a new tragedy bringing new opportunity for growth and a real change in the topography of the area and the architecture. [18:54] Speaker B: Yeah. [18:54] Speaker A: The opportunity. You've built something of these homes in the north Chalet Village that are just phenomenal. [18:59] Speaker B: Thank you. Yeah. [19:00] Speaker A: You guys manage one CAS bu vista in our program. It's a fantastic home with incredible windows. And did you design that? [19:07] Speaker B: I did. [19:08] Speaker A: Bravo. [19:09] Speaker B: Thanks. [19:09] Speaker A: Really, really beautiful home. And you really maximize the views and the windows. And if you were mentioning in the Highlands condominiums, the sideline and the tip of Mount Leant, I think you probably probably looked a lot of those same things when you built. [19:24] Speaker B: I did try to keep that header height in mind so that when you walk in, you're looking at the views of having, you know, crouch over to see it. [19:31] Speaker A: This episode of for the Love of Gatlinburg is sponsored by Mountain Laurel Chalets, the family owned company of choice for your cabin rentals in the smoky Mountains. Since 1972, Mountain Laurel Chalets has served thousands of visitors. Visitors to the Smokies with excellent accommodations. They love treating you like family and they look forward to hosting your next trip to Gatlinburg. Yeah. So in this new rebirthed Chalet Village area. And we kind of correlate that to change progress. But what are some of the things in this community that you hope remain the same. Same that we don't lose the sense of the heart of the area. What are those things that you hope remain the same within our Chalet Village area? [20:21] Speaker B: That's a good question. Arrowmont would be the real quick first answer to that. And of course, you know, you mentioned. We talked about Mike and he was real instrumental along with a lot of other locals in saving that school, that arts and crafts school that was part of the original PI Beta Phi initiative and it was going to be torn down and create, you know, made it into an attraction. But thankfully, the developers of that worked with the city and worked with the donors and worked with the school to preserve the school and still build an attraction, which they did. But the school's intact, which is also a Hubert bed building. Actually the main house, or not house, but the main structure on that campus is an early bed building. Work is really special and historic. Should always remain. [21:08] Speaker A: You mentioned Aramont, and it used to be right at the intersection across from the Greystone Lodge there. And now Anakeesta is there. [21:15] Speaker B: Right. [21:15] Speaker A: But the original structures were moved behind. [21:18] Speaker B: Some of the original structures and some. [21:20] Speaker A: Were moved out to the arts and crafts area. [21:21] Speaker B: Yeah. There is one on Buckhorn Road and then there. And then Anakeesta moved some to the top that where aircraft was a great, you know, store where they had fine craft for sale, and that building was one of their office buildings. But the original school that design and the important buildings around that are all intact, thankfully, and still use the same way. [21:42] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So you live in Knoxville, but you're in Gatlinburg. How many days a week? [21:48] Speaker B: Usually two. [21:49] Speaker A: Two days. [21:49] Speaker B: Yeah. So many things are done remotely now that we don't. We don't have a lot of faces to face like we used to. [21:57] Speaker A: That has changed. [21:58] Speaker B: It's changed how the business operates. Really has. [22:02] Speaker A: But you still have the connections with the people, the relationships, the history of the area and the networking with people and becoming familiar. You know, mentioned Mike, the mayor of Gatlinburg, is that there's camaraderie. [22:15] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. [22:15] Speaker A: There's friendship that goes. Goes way back. And your friendships go way back to some of your friends that your buddies that you grew up with. Are any of those people still in the Gatberg community? [22:25] Speaker B: Brad Spradlin is still here. He and my brother were really close growing up. And he lives in Windswept where we lived as kids. My friend Eric Embryo was telling me about. He's out in California. Most of my friends from high school are Elsewhere. But one of my close friends from high school, Stephanie Husky, she works with me and has for 20 years. That's great to keep that. [22:46] Speaker A: That's a great legacy. It's a small, tight knit community. And you know, in real estate you're. You appreciate the hominess of Gatlinburg and the sense of legacy that comes with the people that are invested and committed here. But you've probably seen a lot of outside investors come into Gatlinburg and have an interest financially. And, you know, I think oftentimes times rented.com listed Gatlinburg as the number one opportunity for an investor, you know, to purchase a vacation rental home. [23:18] Speaker B: And I think it was for a few years. [23:20] Speaker A: A few years, yeah, like, and then everyone got the news. [23:22] Speaker B: Yeah, 20, 21 and 22. But then the prices went up so much that the ratio wasn't quite the same anymore. So we've fallen down those lists a. [23:31] Speaker A: Little bit and that's fine because there's not as much, there's only so much you can grow. [23:36] Speaker B: Right. [23:36] Speaker A: And there's a lot of new developments. But we kind of want to, we want to create still that sense of community and the views and not the oversaturation, you know, of the area and bring in some great, lovely accommodations that people can enjoy. How have you seen that, that change over the years? As far as vacation homes in the 80s to now, what are the demands for vacation homes in Gatlinburg in 2024? [24:02] Speaker B: Well, the houses of Garden shop a lot bigger and in some cases really bloated and out of scale to their site, I think. And that has been driven strictly by income. So I think in some ways it can be misguided to think, oh, how many bedrooms do I need? How many bathrooms do I need? What's the amenity package? And so then they throw it all in and then without really thinking about how that house is going to look when it's complete. And then, okay, here are your bedrooms, here are your mini packages package, and then you build a box around it. And I've seen that happen around the county without much thought or consideration to the impact on the site or the sight lines, the views, or how it relates in scale to the neighboring properties. So I think at times it's not well thought through. But thankfully, what's happened in Shallow Village north for the most part has been really good. And I think largely that's due to the quality of the location, the quality of neighborhood and the quality of the views. We've ended up with a lot Better new properties there in, in other parts of the county. [25:02] Speaker A: Yeah. And there are some limitations, the septic capacity. [25:07] Speaker B: Right. [25:07] Speaker A: Which limits the numbers of bedrooms. You're not going to find a 36. [25:11] Speaker B: Bedroom home, 24 bedroom home recently. And it was in a neighborhood. And I'm thinking, does this really be, belong in this neighborhood? [25:22] Speaker A: You know, I, I wish we could dial back a little bit on that. And I think two, three, four, five bedrooms are really the sweet spot. [25:32] Speaker B: I agree. Like what you have here and what you've done here is all nicely done to scale. I appreciate that. [25:37] Speaker A: Yeah. And where we're at, where we are now is the retreats at Deer View Trail. And this was eight and a half acre lot that had a historic mid century bottom home, a two bedroom, two bath called Deer View Trail. And my in laws purchased this in the 80s by a pretty eccentric woman who traveled around the world. And they lived in the two bedroom house in the late 50s while they were building their home just off the street in Monter, Raleigh. And we brought the home into, into the family in the 80s and we've kept it as a two bedroom, two bathroom, eight and a half acres with unobstructed views. And then the fires, the fires really destroyed the entire lot. And people would walk on this lot because they had honeymoons at Dear View Trail, they had anniversaries, birthdays, and people fell in love with this incredible lot and the home. And so when people would come after the fires, they wanted to go to those properties just to kind of commemorate their stay. And what we found is that people, even though we said no trespassing, they were walking on the eight and a half acres and there were trees all around that were widowmakers that would just fall down and the liability was too great. So we had to remove all the dead trees. And that just exposed an unbelievable expansive view. Like the pilots kind of in. [27:00] Speaker B: Right. You ended up with a bare site. [27:02] Speaker A: Basically we had a bare site, but it took two and a half years to develop the land, to bring it to code, to bring infrastructure, to bring the topography, to bring the roads in. [27:12] Speaker B: To work with critical slope requirements. [27:14] Speaker A: Critical slope. And the city of Gatlinburg was, was pretty strict. And I appreciate, I do too. I love that because it was eight and a half acres and they allowed for us to have eight structures on eight and a half acres. [27:25] Speaker B: That's fair. [27:26] Speaker A: We built six so that each one feels like has its own view and enjoys the amenities. And he didn't want to pack it. [27:34] Speaker B: I appreciate that. You know it means A lot that you exercised some restraint with this site because you didn't have to do that. [27:41] Speaker A: Well, a lot of that is preserving what this area means to us as a family, what it meant to my in laws and what it does to the community. We want to be good neighbors. [27:52] Speaker B: Right. [27:53] Speaker A: And I think that's really important these days is what does it look like as an owner of a vacation home or a vacation rental business or anyone involved in real estate, we want to perpetuate that good neighbor brand. And a good neighbor follows policy, they follow rules. They have bear proof containers. They look out for the safety of their guests. They are attending to the landscape, you know, all those different elements. And when a lot of times we have out of state investors that have never been in the community and they have money and they have cash and they invest, but then they forget what it means to be a good neighbor. Quiet parties, you know, not packing houses. And we're fortunate in Chalet Village to really have a lot of controls on that because we have a lot of eyes in the community. You mentioned Ken Webster, who's been here for over 50 years and runs the neighborhood association. And there's a lot of people that look out for each other. I know on the Facebook groups, the Chalet Village Facebook groups, you can't really get away with anything here, which is good. Which is really good. And the bears become a little bit of a nuisance sometimes in the trash. [28:58] Speaker B: They've been pretty rambunctious this year. [29:02] Speaker A: Yes, there's been a lot of activity with bears, and everyone loves to see the bears, but we want to be responsible with them as well. [29:09] Speaker B: They're raiding the housekeeping trucks now. I'm sure you've seen that the garbage is in the back of the truck. The housekeepers go in the house, the bears are in the truck. [29:19] Speaker A: We always tell our guests, you cannot leave your cars unlocked for a moment, even when you're going in and out. Because the bears know how to open those doors. And they say, really? Do they really know how to do that? [29:28] Speaker B: I'm like, do you remember that story for Ken's truck? [29:31] Speaker A: Oh, he went into the truck, into. [29:32] Speaker B: The truck and the door shut behind the bear. [29:35] Speaker A: That happened to be. Well, it happened to me. It was over at. I was at Smoky Mountain Memories, which is Dot Ralph Egley's home where my wife grew up. And it's now rent about home on our rental program. And I was loading the car and left, you know, going in and out of the house. And I came out and I said, well, the door is open to the car, so I just shut it. I shut the bear in the car, and the house was locked. So then I realized, moment I had done that, the last thing you want to do is trap a bear inside your vehicle because it will trash the entire car, which Ken experienced as well. [30:10] Speaker B: And so the trash. [30:11] Speaker A: The bear trashed. No, I ran to the car. I ran to the house to unlock the house, ran to the car, opened the door, the bear came out, and I ran because I wanted to have an app. I wanted to have somewhere to go. [30:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [30:22] Speaker A: Especially if the bear felt trapped. I didn't want him to feel anxious and nervous. And I opened the door, and the bear is really are predatory. And they're not interested in us as humans. They're just interested in our food. [30:32] Speaker B: Right. [30:32] Speaker A: Our food source. Or the leather on the car seats or the hot tub covers that they eat, you know, crazy things that bears do. So that's it. It's funny to have those experiences. So do you think about Gatlinburg, your love for Gatlinburg, growing up here, going to gp, Then you went to University of Tennessee. [30:51] Speaker B: Right. [30:52] Speaker A: Did you move back to the community? [30:53] Speaker B: Oh, I was in Gatlinburg for quite a while. I met a Knoxville gal, and she has a business in Knoxville, so it made more sense to live there than. Than here. And that's been. That's been a great move. But we have properties here that we stay in on a regular basis, so we're here part of that. [31:07] Speaker A: And you still own properties here, and you're investing in the community, which is great. And you're built. Are you building any homes currently? [31:13] Speaker B: Well, we're doing a. A project at our residence, but nothing in gall right now. [31:20] Speaker A: Great, great. And how. How many people are on your team with Century 21? [31:24] Speaker B: There's seven of us on my seven. [31:26] Speaker A: And where is the reach of the business? [31:31] Speaker B: We. We will reach into Blount County a little bit and Knox County a little bit, but primarily Sevier County. Still really focused on Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge to some extent, too. [31:41] Speaker A: And when you talk to investors that haven't been to Gatlinburg before, what is their draw or what do you hope maybe their draw is financially? It's going to be a good investment. But what do you hope that they really. That you would want them to really understand about this community? [31:55] Speaker B: Well, more often than not, they're coming for cash flow, and that's just part of it. It's always been that way. That's nothing new. I'M used to it. You'd like them to come for more reasons than just cash flow, though. Ultimately, you hope that they're invested in the community, they have some understanding. But sometimes that just doesn't work out. Sometimes it's just about the cash flow, and that's okay, too. You know, it's a big enough boat for a lot of different people. Yeah. But more and more we're seeing, especially with the Highlands project, that was really personal for a lot of people. [32:28] Speaker A: Very sentimental. [32:29] Speaker B: Yeah, really sentimental and really personal. And it means a lot more to me and the folks that I work with. When there is a personal connection, it's not just economic. I mean, I get it. I was an econ major. But it's nice when it's personal because then they're going to have more enriching experiences with their family. A new generation will get introduced and, you know, probably end up being investors. [32:51] Speaker A: Themselves someday and continuing on that legacy. [32:54] Speaker B: Right. [32:55] Speaker A: Yeah. I think that is incredible. Fires are in 2016, and you just had the grand opening for the house, kind of. [33:03] Speaker B: It took a long time for that situation to work itself out. Right. Because we had an HOA that all of its. All of its assets burned. So then you had a large group of owners that had to agree to sell the property. [33:17] Speaker A: That's not all these individual insurance claims. Who's responsible for what? [33:22] Speaker B: Right. It's complicated. So it took the Laneys a long time to secure the property, but once they did, you know, it took some time to get permitting and design and all that, too. As you know, we've been through that process with the city, and it's strict, as you said. So, you know, imagine doing multi family and the fire code you have to meet and all that kind of stuff. But they're real experienced, of course, so for them, that wasn't too difficult of a process. It's just time consuming. [33:48] Speaker A: When you think of being at Gatlinburg, and if you were to give someone advice on how would they spend a perfect day or a perfect few days in Gatlinburg, what are some of the things you would encourage them to experience? [33:59] Speaker B: Well, you've got to stay in Shiley Village first and foremost because it's the easiest access to the national park and to downtown. [34:05] Speaker A: Yes. [34:06] Speaker B: And you can do it without hitting the parkway, and that's key because you don't want to get stuck in traffic because it could ruin your day. And you only have two or three, so don't do that. But I would. I would recommend getting out in the national park, maybe Andrews Bald. That's a pretty easy hike. Two miles in, two miles out. Big view starting at the top, you know, starting clean. This dome and. And high elevation. Brassy balds are unique to our region. And most people probably never even heard of it. So that'd be something cool to experience. [34:35] Speaker A: It's the phenomenal views. [34:37] Speaker B: It's phenomenal. Yeah. And then, of course, if you. If you're not quite up for that, the Gatlinburg trail here in town is fantastic. [34:43] Speaker A: Another two miles into the visitors. [34:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [34:45] Speaker A: Miles back. [34:46] Speaker B: Two miles back. [34:47] Speaker A: It's a easy slopes. And they've got the little river right there. So it's beautiful. [34:52] Speaker B: And then you can go to lunch or dinner and eat. The number of restaurants that are right in that party town that are great. And of course, you have something special to celebrate. The Greenbrier is really nice. The Greenbrier Restaurant. [35:02] Speaker A: Historic restaurant. [35:03] Speaker B: Yeah. [35:04] Speaker A: Under new ownership. [35:05] Speaker B: Yeah. Another local that's taken that on, which is great to see. [35:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [35:09] Speaker B: And then, of course, you know, there's the east side of the park, which is really nice to visit. Not nearly as crowded. Depending on the time of year that you're here. You know, that could be a better plan to go out to Greenbrier or Cosby Campground or something like that. [35:22] Speaker A: And between that, the. The motor trail. [35:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [35:25] Speaker A: If it's not too busy. Get there early in the morning and you can get parking space to get some heights. [35:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And, you know, a walk through town would be fun too, because there's a lot to do downtown. [35:36] Speaker A: So other than riding your mountain bikes and tricking those out, to be able to go all the way from the top of Ski View Drive and you would literally go all the way down to. [35:44] Speaker B: All the way down. And my parents were nice enough to let the maintenance guys come with their trucks. [35:49] Speaker A: So your parents actually knew you were doing this? They knew we were doing this. [35:52] Speaker B: We were like house cats, kind of. They just let us out for the day. We come back for food. You know, it was great. [35:58] Speaker A: Just when the street lights are on. [36:00] Speaker B: We didn't have any street lights. [36:01] Speaker A: I know. There were no street lights here, though. That's right. That is right. So what were some of the things that you would do as a child here in Gatlinburg that might surprise people? [36:10] Speaker B: Well, this is appropriate because it's about to be Halloween. Halloween was crazy back then in downtown Gatlinburg. You could dress up in costume, and the kids and they would just trick or treat all up and down the parkway. And of course, There's a lot of candy shops and stores and all the stores, and you would just fill your bags of candy. So that was amazing. But then as you got a little bit older as a teenager, then instead of trick or treating, you would just spray shaving cream all over each other. And that happened for hours throughout Halloween day. That was fun. [36:43] Speaker A: That's fun. Did you ever do cruising down the Strip? [36:46] Speaker B: Yeah, we had that period when we were 16, 15 and 16 years old. My buddy was the first. Billy was the first kid that could drive. She was a little older, but he was short, so he had to sit on two phone books. It's back when phone books actually existed. Right. [36:59] Speaker A: That's awesome. So. [37:04] Speaker B: So he could reach the clutch. It had a manual transmission, too. [37:06] Speaker A: Everyone did, didn't they? That's the way you had to learn how to drive. [37:09] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. If you want to be a real driver. [37:11] Speaker A: Yes. Really earn your stripes, which is great. So you think about a new guest coming to Gatlinburg and experiencing Gatlinburg for the first time. You go back with a rich history and experiencing some of the history and the legacy and the people that come with that. What are some things that you would hope that they would know and appreciate about Gatlinburg? [37:34] Speaker B: You know, I think a lot of people don't really understand where. How the city came about. And I think the most important thing is to realize how the park was founded and why it was founded. And, you know, this is a great historic photo that I have, one of the cabins here of Roosevelt dedicating the park. And that's an important scene, important part of our history. I mean, really, Gatlinburg wouldn't exist had that not occurred. [37:58] Speaker A: Right. [37:59] Speaker B: Because we're the park entrance town. So that created an economic interest or reason for us to exist here. But without the park, we wouldn't be what we are today. I think people maybe lose sight of that sometimes. They come for the attractions or whatever. Some people don't even know there's a national park that they come. [38:17] Speaker A: You know, we can ask guests sometimes, we'll say, have you been to the park? And they're like, well, which part? [38:22] Speaker B: Yeah, like, oh, the park. So I'm sure, you know Bill and Barbara Stevens, they both passed now, but their son Jay is a very close friend of mine. We're still good buddies. Grew up here together. Jay was a private school kid, so he wasn't here and was only here in the summer. But anyway, he worked at Barbara's Real Estate, which was at the time they Had a branch across the street from Shally Village and had a rental company and I worked, you know, at the SH Village. And we would compare stories, like the stupid questions that you would get, like, when did they turn the river on when the water was low. [38:58] Speaker A: It's like there's no switch for that machine. Come in to create the switch. [39:03] Speaker B: When do they turn the lights on? You know, compare dumb questions, but people often just don't know what they're getting into. [39:10] Speaker A: That's a, it's a great treasure. And people that. There are people. And you talked about some of them at the Highlands condominiums, where it's generational for years and years and years they've come and they continue to come back. [39:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [39:24] Speaker A: And they love Gatlinburg. It's their second home. [39:28] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, it's like taking your kid to Neyland Stadium and bringing your kid to Gatlinburg is kind of on the same level, I think for people that. [39:36] Speaker A: Have a history here and talk about Tennessee balls. [39:40] Speaker B: Yeah, that was a big win. [39:42] Speaker A: Yes. This was being recorded just the Monday after the, the victory over Alabama at Newland City. Were you there for the game? [39:49] Speaker B: I was there for the game. I mean, going to school there and living and I live close to campus, so a big fan and it's a lot of fun to be part of it. [39:58] Speaker A: And Gatlinburg is kind of the, the backyard of the playground for Knoxville, for Nashville. [40:03] Speaker B: Right. [40:03] Speaker A: And it's expanded beyond that to Atlanta, Cincinnati, a four hour drive distance. There's a lot of people that come to Gatlinburg multiple times a year that enjoy this community and they're kind of part of the fabric as well. [40:19] Speaker B: Yeah. And those people buy houses. That is an important step for them. You know, those people that visit frequently and decide, you know, maybe it makes sense for us to buy a house because we're there often. [40:30] Speaker A: We're renting four times a year. [40:32] Speaker B: Yeah. This makes sense. Tax deductions, etc. And, and those, those, that's. That is an important part actually of the community because they're here often enough to be semi local, you know, so. [40:45] Speaker A: You'Re, you talk to a lot of investors, people that are wanting to invest in the community and repeat guests that come to Gatlinburg. How do you advise them as far as investments and what the market is today, currently and the opportunities that they have here? [40:59] Speaker B: You know, it really depends on what their objective is. Right. Because it's not a one size fits all process. So what's their existing real estate portfolio look like, what sort of tax deductions are they really track, what sort of tax shelter are they looking to achieve, what would they potentially even qualify for in that department. Consequently, we end up with a lot of self employed folks because they have more ability to utilize these investments through a tax shelter than someone who gets a W2, for instance. So we kind of start with those kind of conversations and you know what, what's your family size, how are you going to use, use it, how many generations are going to be in the house, what time of year are you coming and, and then you know, what's the income objective. So you have to kind of work through that process and that will a lot of times just determine what part of the county are going to be focused on. [41:55] Speaker A: That is, those are fascinating things to, to understand the demographics of your client and then understanding what their specific needs. [42:02] Speaker B: What are their objectives, what are their. [42:04] Speaker A: Goals and then fitting them into an opportunity. Great thing about Sevier county is that there's a wide variety. There really is investment opportunities. [42:12] Speaker B: Yeah, really wide variety. And one of the best investment opportunities isn't taken advantage of very often the one bedroom houses you rent so well and so consistently, but they just don't fit the use need. A lot of times for the families that would buy one, you know, they're excellent investments. [42:29] Speaker A: Easier to build, quicker to build, maintain so much easier, replace items. Yeah, and just have a couple one. [42:36] Speaker B: One and you get 300 nights a year, you know, in a good one. [42:40] Speaker A: Not many markets can boast being able to get 300 nights a year. Now during COVID some of Those houses were 390 nights. [42:52] Speaker B: Those were the days. [42:53] Speaker A: Those were the days. And now we're kind of back to 2019. [42:56] Speaker B: Yeah, we really are actually. I think that's probably the number, don't you? The year of revenue wise. [43:01] Speaker A: Yeah, we're, we're, we look at our revenue as though it was 2019 and you hate to go back five years but we had some influx of business that other markets didn't experience because Tennessee, unlike other states didn't have Covid or it appeared as though Covid didn't exist in Tennessee. And everyone wanted to come and people were, you know, housebound and they wanted to get out. And the great thing about Gatlinburg is that you could be in your own individual home and be in the national park and be outdoors. And I think trend that we've experienced as well is kind of harkening back to the 50s and 60s when a lot of the attraction was the national park. When my in laws moved here, they came every weekend from Oak Ridge to hike and they got engaged on the top of Mount LeConte. [43:49] Speaker B: We got married on top of Mount LeConte. [43:50] Speaker A: You got married on the top in the dining room. You got married at the leconte Lodge? In the dining room where I had pot roast and pancakes. [43:57] Speaker B: That's right. Right in front of the windows there. [43:59] Speaker A: Tell me about that. [44:00] Speaker B: Oh, our friends Chris and Allison Burden were the caretakers at the time. And they. I think for about 12 years they were caretakers in the lodge. It's the on site people. And we were arranging a wedding. It was getting complicated fast. And my wife was getting really stressed with fiance at the time. Really stressed about, you know, how are we going to get a place big enough for all these people and food and this and that. And we had a beautiful view of Malacott from our house on Shallow Village Boulevard. And I said, no, why don't we just go up there and solve all the problems? So we did it two weeks later, called Chris and Allison and they worked it out and stayed in crew quarters. [44:39] Speaker A: So that's. That's a way to limit your guest list. You want to come to our wedding? We've got to take a five hour. [44:44] Speaker B: Hike to come up in the snow. [44:49] Speaker A: What was the date? [44:50] Speaker B: It was October 18th, actually. We just celebrated our anniversary. And. And that was the first snow of the season. [44:55] Speaker A: How many years ago? [44:57] Speaker B: 15. [44:58] Speaker A: Okay. 2000. [45:00] Speaker B: 2009. [45:00] Speaker A: 2000. [45:01] Speaker B: She married me in the height of the recession when I was broke, so was pretty good. Litmus. [45:05] Speaker A: You knew it was true. [45:06] Speaker B: Yeah. [45:07] Speaker A: Yeah. That is great. Yes. And we've already had our first snow this year. [45:10] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it was on the 14th or 15th, so it usually comes around that time, which I wasn't even considering when we made the plan, but it made it that much more memorable. [45:17] Speaker A: So how many people came to your wedding? [45:19] Speaker B: There were about 15 of us. And bizarrely, one of my best. I was up. We were up there a day early to kind of get arranged. So come cousins and some. My friend Stephanie that I mentioned, my friend Justin Broadway, and of course certain folks and my folks. And so we were up there a day early to kind of get everything arranged. And I'm in the dining room and in walks this, like one of my best friends from college. He and his wife were there with their two kids. So they ended up attending the wedding too. That was pretty great. [45:51] Speaker A: Was there places for them to sleep? [45:53] Speaker B: They were. They were already staying. They had rented place. [45:56] Speaker A: Wow. [45:56] Speaker B: So we were in crew quarters, though my family. [46:00] Speaker A: Well, that's a way to find out who your real friends are. Get married on at the Leconte Lodge in the dining room. And what was your. What was. What did you serve for the reception? [46:11] Speaker B: That was fun. We. We're all cooks and in our family, both sides. So we made a bunch of different things and. And we had some folks hike things up and they were kind enough to let us use the llamas too. So we got, we got the stuff on the mask. [46:25] Speaker A: And you got photos of all of that? [46:27] Speaker B: Yeah. [46:27] Speaker A: That is amazing. [46:27] Speaker B: And my brother was a photographer and Allison's a really good photographer. Burden, who was one of the caretakers. So the two of them did the photos. [46:35] Speaker A: I wonder how many people have been married in the top lodge in the dining room. [46:39] Speaker B: I don't know. Probably not that often because you really would have to. [46:43] Speaker A: You gotta plan ahead. You gotta plan way ahead. Unless you've got some connection. Yeah, that is great. Well, this is a first for our podcast to have someone that was actually married and started their married life together at the top of Mount Macan. And I was reflecting on Dot and Ralph getting engaged on the top of Mount Macan and coming here every weekend and falling in love with the community and deciding, let's just move here in like 50s. And then being involved in a lot of business and development as a general contract contractor. And he was a electrical engineer previously mechanical engineer. Excuse me. And. And then Doc was the first kindergarten teacher at PI beta 5. [47:24] Speaker B: Wow. [47:24] Speaker A: So they began their legacy and there's still some remnants of that. We're kind of second generation. [47:31] Speaker B: Well, your office, you know, they put that together, the two of them. [47:35] Speaker A: I remember when they deltec round. Round buildings. And it's been expanded many times since that. Right? Yeah. [47:43] Speaker B: And even as a kid, it felt like an honor to, you know, know them. Dot was such a sweet lady. [47:51] Speaker A: Yeah. She's got the heart of hospitality. Had the heart of hospitality. And we hope and pray that we. We pass that on in our. In our business. And just meeting with so many different people on the podcast, that generation has really impacted how people do business and how they do life. And it's in that business here is more than just economics. [48:12] Speaker B: Certainly was for the uglies. [48:14] Speaker A: It was. And I think that's kind of bit of the sweet sauce. [48:19] Speaker B: Yeah. [48:19] Speaker A: Special place. Special place. [48:21] Speaker B: Hope we keep that going right through the next generation. [48:23] Speaker A: That is our goal. And I know that that's your desire and goal as a second generation business leader. And a contributing theater to the community. But it's so great to hear your story, to get more of a peek behind the curtain of what's happening and love to hear about the market trends and then also the kind of history of Chalet Village. [48:43] Speaker B: Well, we post those market trends every the first Saturday of every month. And so you go to jasonwhiteteam.com and you want to sign up for it, you'll get it the first Saturday of every month. So you'll get all the data. Data. And it's all searchable for 20 years. [49:01] Speaker A: That's great. So you collab, you collect all that information, you make it available to potential investors, current investors, see how the market is doing. That's great. So if anyone wants to reach out to you if they're interested in investing or purchasing in Gatlinburg, that they come year after year after year and like, hey honey, it's time to buy a house that we can pass on to our family. They can reach you, of course. And what's the the website? [49:22] Speaker B: Jason White team.com awesome. [49:25] Speaker A: Well, it's such a pleasure to have you. Thank you for taking the time out on this beautiful day. Looking out at the your location of your wedding right up there. [49:33] Speaker B: It's spectacular. Thanks for having me. [49:36] Speaker A: That's great. Glad, glad to have you today, Jason. Thanks so much. [49:39] Speaker B: My pleasure. [49:41] Speaker A: Thank you for joining me on this episode of for the Love of Gatlinburg. I hope you enjoyed exploring exploring the stories that weave together the rich tapestry of our mountain town. Whether you're reminiscing about past visits or dreaming of your next adventure, remember that every corner of Gatlinburg has a story waiting to be discovered. If you loved what you heard today, please take a moment to subscribe, rate and review our podcast. Your support helps us share the charm and history of Gatlinburg with even more listeners. And don't forget to connect with us on social social media. Until next time, keep the spirit of Gatlinburg alive in your hearts. Safe travels and see you soon.

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Episode 13 of For the Love of Gatlinburg features Jason White of Century 21 Realty, offering personal insights into Gatlinburg's evolution from the 1980s to present day. White, a long-time resident and real estate professional, shares his journey in the area's development, discussing key projects like Chalet Village and the brand new Highlands Condominiums. The episode covers significant events shaping Gatlinburg, including the 2016 fires that led to rebuilding with stricter codes. White emphasizes responsible growth, community preservation, and wildlife management. He also touches on real estate market trends and investment opportunities, encouraging engagement with Gatlinburg's unique blend of heritage and modern development.

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