Gourmet Herb Garden: Cut Fresh Rosemary, Basil at The Farm at Tralee's Herb Garden
As you would find in a traditional European kitchen garden, herbs of all sorts will be available on site at The Farm at Tralee. You will have only to venture over the hill to the garden, and snip a bowl full of fresh, sun warmed herbs to bring a taste of the earth into your home and to your own table. The smell of rosemary bread baking, fresh basil pasta for lunch, fennel chicken on the grill, will make you feel like a gourmet cook, even if you have never experimented with using fresh herbs. The simplicity of making herbed vinaigrettes and herbed dipping oils will be even further simplified by having an array of culinary herbs grown for you.
Premium Golf Courses Near The Farm at Tralee
11 Miles from The Farm at Tralee, sits one of the nation's best classic golf courses. Holston Hills C.C. was built in 1927 and designed by Donald Ross. It is widely considered to be one of the more original Donald Ross designs left in the
Holston Hills C.C.
5200 Holston Hills Rd
Knoxville, TN 37914
(865) 523-4119
Why East Tennessee is the Best Place to Retire: No Income Tax
No State Income Tax East Tennessee has some of the lowest taxes in the country with no income tax, moderate sales tax, and low property tax. The state only taxes dividends and interest income, and it fairly taxes gasoline and tobacco. There is a statewide sales tax rate of 7%. As you see at this post, the property taxes on a million dollar home in Tralee are just $4,150 making Sevier county the lowest tax rate in the area.
East Tennessee Climate: Experiencing Four Seasons
Although it snows in the valley less than I would prefer, we live in a protected climate. In East Tennessee, we experience all four seasons, albeit mild doses of each. This site lists some very interesting statistics detailing temperature, precipitation, and percentage of sunshine. For example, see the Average Temperature Table Below.
Light snow February 1, 2007
Average Temperatures in Knoxville, TN.
| Month | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.9°F | 46.3°F |
| Feb | 31.8°F | 51.7°F |
| Mar | 39.1°F | 60.3°F |
| Apr | 46.6°F | 69.0°F |
| May | 55.6°F | 76.3°F |
| Jun | 63.9°F | 83.6°F |
| Jul | 68.5°F | 86.9°F |
| Aug | 67.3°F | 86.4°F |
| Sept | 60.8°F | 80.7°F |
| Oct | 47.7°F | 69.9°F |
| Nov | 38.9°F | 59.0°F |
| Dec | 31.9°F | 49.8°F |
Property Taxes at The Farm at Tralee: Knox County vs. Sevier County
Question: What are the taxes on a $1,000,000 home at The Farm at Tralee?
Answer: $4150/annum
The tax rate per $100 of assessed value in Sevier County is $1.66. According to the trustee's tax calculator, the taxes on a one million dollar home is $4150. On the other hand, Knox County's tax rate per $100 of assessed value is $2.69. By comparison, the same home on the other side of North East End Road would be $6725/annum.
| Knoxville | Knox County | Sevier County | Sevierville City | |
| Tax Rate | $5.50 | $2.69 | $1.66 | $1.80 |
| Appraised Value | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Assessed Value | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| Total Tax Per Annum | $13,750 | $6,725 | $4,150 | $4,500 |
House Mountain: Treasure Only Minutes Away
We have talked about the beautiful mountain views from The Farm at Tralee. House Mountain is just to the north of Tralee by about 7 miles (as the crow flies) and offers some stunning views from the 2100 foot peak. With rich forestry, geologic history, and ecologic diversity, this nearby treasure offers both a pleasant backdrop to Tralee's rolling hills and an interesting destination. 
Outdoor Fireplaces: Count Rumford
For the past few weeks, we have enjoyed the comfort of the Count Rumford fireplace at the Pavilion. Every Sunday, Paul has arrived well before any open house visitors to create a masterpiece in the Count Rumford fireplace. With great care, he has laid base logs along the back of the stand and then stacked the front logs vertically to create an inviting, warm fire.
At first, we thought that this style of fire was a Count Rumford, but Paul clarified that the Count Rumford was the fireplace. Wikipedia helped to clarify:
Rumford fireplaces are tall and shallow to reflect more heat, and they have streamlined throats to eliminate turbulence and carry away the smoke with little loss of heated room air.
Rumford fireplaces were common from 1796, when Count Rumford first wrote about them, until about 1850. Jefferson had them built at Monticello, and Thoreau listed them among the modern conveniences that everyone took for granted. There are still many original Rumford fireplaces, often buried behind newer renovations.
Count Rumford, for whom the fireplace is named, was born Benjamin Thompson in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1753 and, because he was a loyalist, he left (abruptly) with the British in 1776. He spent much of his life as an employee of the Bavarian government where he received his title, "Count of the Holy Roman Empire." Rumford is known primarily for the work he did on the nature of heat.
Each homeowner, may enjoy the luxury of the Count Rumford in their own outdoor fireplace. Under the Covenants and Restrictions, each homeowner must build an outdoor fireplace. While this may seem to be an odd restriction, Tralee is largely about developing a community where people enjoy the beauty of the land and the company their neighbors.
Open House: The Public is Welcome into The Farm at Tralee: Viewing East Tennessee's Finest Mountain Views
This week we coordinated with the 7 day forecast to open our gates to the public. A number of area Real Estate Agents came to The Farm at Tralee to view the newly completed cobblestone roads, mountain views, equestrian riders, and meet the staff.
The response was amazing. People simply could not believe how beautiful Tralee is. One agent commented, "when I saw the pictures on your site, I thought that they were fake, and as I stand here and look at these views, I still have a hard time believing it." Fortunately, that is a common response when people first step on the property.
We are opening the gates to the general public for the next three Sunday afternoons. Email us if you are interested in attending. 
Mountain views: Awe-inspiring Visits to The Farm at Tralee
I thoroughly enjoy giving private tours of
Mountain Views at Every Angle
Every morning, I rise before the sun. I drive to Tralee, and my head races with the day's tasks. When I pull up to the gate, my mind clears and I am faced with my passion in this project. Everywhere you look there is a mountain view.
Jeremy inspired me with his picture of the mountains in the background of the Tralee marquee, like any good artist, I had to "borrow" a good idea.
Cure for Mondays: Horseback Riding and Mountain Views
Perched on the hill at estate number 23 gazing at Mount LeConte at noon, I knew that this was going to be an extraordinary Monday. Katie took the horses to pasture, and I took the XRT to rove over the common area and check a few new features at the pavilion. The waterfall has been adjusted, and now it can be heard gently babbling all over the hillside. As I went to get an iced tea, I saw the irrigation specialists putting finishing work for the day on the sprinkler system. Then I sat back and looked at House mountain reflecting off of the lake.
Autumn's early warmth permeated The Farm at Tralee, and the sun gently peered through the trees and lazily fell into the pavilion while I watched Katie and Sarah ride their horses up the hillside. Everywhere else in the world it was Monday.
Concierge: Reaping the Benefits
A fairly common question that I have had about The Farm at Tralee is: "How far will I have to drive to get groceries?" The short answer to this, zero miles--have the concierge pick up your milk. While that may seem dreamy in many communities, it is an option at Tralee.
I did, however, think that it would be nice to show on a map the golf, shopping, arts and cultural attractions, and dining that is within a short distance of Tralee. On this Tralee-map, you can see those a collection of those items.
If you have a suggestion, please leave me a comment and I will try to add your suggestion to the map.
Tralee Transcendance
Yesterday, I took my wife, daughter, and parents up to visit The Farm at Tralee. I have to admit that it gives me great satisfaction to watch people's faces when they first step foot out of the car, but then again I go to the property weekly and when I step out of the car, I still get that tingle up my spine when I see the beauty at Tralee. My wife has heard me recount the spectacular views hundreds of times, but when she saw the ridges and valleys gently rising up to Mount LeConte, she paused, leaned against the car, and gasped, "now, I see what you mean."
That is what I call the Tralee Transcendence.
While the website and blog are ripe with hundreds of images from Tralee, nothing can truly capture the experience like standing on the spacious grounds of Tralee: breathing the crisp mountain air, hearing nature's symphony, and feeling your concerns lift away.
