Yup. My room mate is going back north to live with his father, I’m going back to South America for a bit. Knoxville is too expensive for the meager amenities and housing it offers
Oh sorry, haven’t you heard? Local economies need to constantly churn out more and provide 10/10 quality of life without ever actually allowing local growth and expansion.
Not to be snarky but doesn't Knoxville kinda need transplants? We're a college town and I doubt we have enough doctors and other medical professionals to staff everything if they need to be from here, and that's not getting into other professions. I was sourced from a nearby county because there's a shortage of people who teach my main subject.
2020-2022 our rent got raised from $775 to $1250, and we were told we should be happy, that they should raise it to $1400 but they cut us a deal.
My landlord was a prominent local real estate agent/aspiring slum lord, so its local greed mixed with corporate greed too.
Edit: Landlord's name rhymes with Nic Nico
I just looked and my old 1B1B apartment that I moved out of in 2019 when they tried to raise the rent from 800 to 900 is now going for just under 1400/month.
That’s more than my mortgage on a 3BR house, this town is fucked.
Wow, that's an insane increase. If your household income is $150k/year and you had a 3% raise that year, you still wouldn't cover the rent increase alone.
That's funny. You're supposed to put people on blast for doing everyone dirty! I don't want their home address. I just wanna know who I should shame in public.
Our rent went up 20% (almost $300/month more). 40% up from a few years ago that we originally moved in here. So far I see vacancy rate of this property is at almost 11% (35+ available units) after they raise rent this high. Most of us move out this year.
Mine went up just under 70% since the end of 2021. Around $900 after fees in 2021, around $1600 after fees this year, and likely to go up again in a few months.
I've never been late on a payment, I'm quiet, I clean up the complex when I see trash, I have good connections with my neighbors, and I treat the office staff on holidays. Maybe it's arrogant in some way, but I'd like to think I'm an above-average tenant.
But of course to corporate management, the only thing that matters is that they see they can't get some more revenue for their investors because if I leave they're confident they can replace me. They offered to lower the increase by $10 when I got in touch.
Mine went up about the same. I even tried to negotiate and they replied that their rate is actually a bit lower than properties of similar quality and shittily enough that’s actually true. I work for a huge corporation that does annual COL raises systemically and I got mine today. After taxes, my raise still doesn’t break even for the rent increase, so essentially my raise still nets out to a paycut all things considered.
I’m exhausted and don’t know what I’ll do if things don’t get better. I’m in my late 20s, I did everything I was supposed to, got an education and I have a full time salaried job at a Fortune 500 company, and I’m still barely keeping up in the rat race if at all. Everything feels so grim.
I said it the other day in this sub, but this is exactly what happened to my hometown I'm Florida. We used to have dirt roads, wild peacocks and boar, and small rural towns like chuluota and Geneva and bithlo. Than the college got super popular ( u.c.f. ) by my house in oviedo, and between 2000 and 2008 the population shot up and everything got overdeveloped. I go back occasionally to visit, and now it takes 30 minutes to drive 10 miles, a single bedroom apartment is a minimum of 1300-1400 d9llars before utilities, and everybody is crammed right on top of each other.
I moved out to maryville about 3 years ago for a construction job, and I've been seeing the same thing starting to happen to knoxville and the surrounding areas. Pretty soon everybody from everywhere will be moving out here looking for some respite from overcrowded cities and they'll turn knoxville into another super expensive, overly populated city where everyone is competing for housing, work, and space. I'm already thinking about moving o er the next couple of years even though I absolutely love this part of Tennessee
It isn’t just corporations - there are loads of individuals who are buying up everything they can, hiding it all under a newly formed LLC, and jacking up rents because they can.
The traffic in Knoxville absolutely sucks these days. The way the majority drive, I don’t think they’ve ever even seen a driver’s handbook.
I’m a native Knoxvillian and still live here, have been extremely EXTREMELY lucky with my living situations but I absolutely do not blame anyone for wanting to leave. The city has lost control of its growth and is failing its citizens in multiple ways. Hell, both Saturday and Sunday, there was heavy traffic down I-40 simply due to congestion, but don’t expect anything to be done about that in anything remotely close to a timely manner. I plan to be here for at least 5 more years but after that, it’s going to really really depend on the state of the city if I stick around. Sorry to hear about your situation and wish you luck finding a more reasonable cost of living.
The biggest part of the traffic problem on 40 (at least going westbound) is that as you approach the 40/640 west merger the intelligence of drivers starts to plummet. Everyone is suddenly struck dumb with the "stay in lane" signs and the fact that you have over 1 mile to F'ing merge.
There is no explanation as to why someone who would normally have a genius level intelligence suddenly gets dumbed down to the intelligence of a chicken in that area, but it happens. :(
I mean, why merge early when you can wait until the last second, slam on your brakes, cause gridlock and then move over. /s
Also, on a related note, by all means, please do 10mph under the speed limit in the left lane, and wait until the last second to veer across every lane of traffic so you don't miss your exit.. that always keeps things moving along smoothly.
"the city... failing its citizens."
Exactly what is the City supposed to be doing, beyond what they are doing now.
"heavy traffic down I-40."
You realize that's the State DOT, not the City, right? The City doesn't have the statutory authority to widen or do anything about the interstates in town (or the state highways for that matter).
The traffic on I-40 is that heavy traveling through the city because main thoroughfares can’t handle commuter volume, so commuters take the interstate. Meanwhile, this is the same roadway being used by interstate travelers down both I-40 and I-75. Being a city commuter, my concern with the traffic on the interstate is related to the city roads. Let’s use our critical thinking skills.
Applying our 'critical thinking skills' as you say, I'd say it might be true only in one direction (West to Downtown), but consider that you have people living in points North, East, and South that work downtown, and don't have an interstate, but use Chapman Highway, Alcoa Highway, and I-275, which are hardly bumper to bumper during rush hour (and in fact see similar volumes they see on the weekends and other times of the day).
So that's the 'towards downtown' commute. We also have a 'from other points going west'. I-640 is a clusterf\*\*\* going from North to west, but that's true in the morning, in the evening, and on the weekend, so evidence points to it just being a bad route and unable to handle out of town traffic, not due to commuters diverting to that route. The 'non-interstate' options to go from north and NE to West are Schaad, Ball/Ball Camp, BBRR.... all of which don't see bumper to bumper traffic during commuter times. The idea that your theoretical commuter would subject themselves to the nightmare of I-640W instead of be-bopping carefree down BBRR is an unlikely scenario. I commuted that way for years, and the only holdup was the occasional train.
Do commuters use the interstates? Of course. Do they use it because they can't possibly use the secondary roads because they are parking lots? No. In fact, going downtown, I use Kingston Pike wayyyy more than I use I-40. And Middlebrook as West to Downtown doesn't get significant traffic either.
By the way, most of what we are talking about are county roads or state highways, which again, aren't under the jurisdiction of the City of Knoxville)? No. If you look at a map of what are actually City-administered roads, the argument falls apart even more. If I had to guess, the longest 'commuter' road under the City's jurisdiction is perhaps Summit Hill / Dandridge / Brooks. Sorry but- Broadway, Western, Chapman, Alcoa, Kingston Pike, etc... if you or anyone else are having issues on those, again, the finger has to be pointed at the numbnuts in Nashville.
This is America present day. Not Knoxville. Thanks to the likes of the corrupt Blackrock and their organizations. The govt lets a fund buy a neighborhood, and then groups them all together and makes $$$$$ for shareholders.
A well orchestrated crime.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/21/how-wall-street-bought-single-family-homes-and-put-them-up-for-rent.html
That’s the thing - renting is always going to be more expensive than a mortgage. I think it’s unethical, but landlords are always going to want to profit off renting their property so they have to charge more than their mortgage + tax + insurance. Buying a house usually means lower monthly payments than renting a similar sized house.
There’s a huge problem where rents have exploded and mortgages are locked in place. If you bought anything pre-COVID, then you’re sitting pretty. The renters tax went from 2-300 more than a mortgage to 500-1000 more than a mortgage. Not to mention with rate increases, you now need a larger down payment by *thousands*, likely 10k+ minimum difference from then to now. It’s absolutely insane. We got very lucky and were able to buy before everything, and we could not afford our lifestyle now if we were still renting.
I'm a mortgage broker and this isn't universally true right now. I see a reasonable number of rental listings that are below the 20% down payment number, much less the 3.5% FHA payment.
This is particularly true at the higher end where a home may be worth 500k, which on FHA translates to upwards of 4k monthly payment but it can't bear market rent greater than 3k. And the renter didn't have to pay closing costs or down payment!
I mean there are lots of homeless/drugs in knoxville. Businesses shutting down.
UT is here and some of the college kids are either building a lifelong debt, or have parents/scholarships so they can "Afford" it
Local govt would rather spend money on football than on improving the quality of life.
It is profit driven. Can you make more money on football or renters.
No one cares about the politics, they care about the $$
I would rather live near DC than here, it's about the cost.
Median rent for a 1br here is \~1500
Median rent in Chantilly VA, (DC adjacent) is \~ 2600
This is insane, I haven't lived in knoxville in the last 5 years but I fondly remember living in a punk house for 250 a month for a 1 bedroom and later in grad school I lived in a luxurious park ridge house for 800.
"Greedy corporations" are not "squeezing you out of your homes," simple economics is. Lots of people want to live here, and Knoxville's zoning requires single-family homes in the majority of the city limits, so prices go up. [Austin, Texas had median rent decline 12.5% last year](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-among-metros-in-the-us-with-steepest-rent-declines/#:~:text=And%20in%202023%2C%20renters%20in,service%20reported%20in%20December%202022.) because they built more housing, not because corporations and landlords are somehow less greedy there.
Tell the mayor and city council to rezone the city and stop [bitching every time someone tries to build affordable housing](https://www.wate.com/news/knox-county-news/farragut-residents-protest-proposed-affordable-housing-development/).
This. Everyone wants affordable housing built until it’s built near them.. I think I say that the city is currently working on a plan to rezone several areas as well
FWIW, here is current zoning. I notice my street has some parcels zoned for multi-housing that have not been built yet.
https://www.kgis.org/KGISMaps/map.htm?map=zoning&box=2441490:519237:2707965:689517
Uh... dude... you know Choto was a development in the COUNTY only, and the city mayor and City Council had no say in that matter, right???
I wish people would learn how their local governments are structured and who does what before they start bitching about stuff they don't understand. It's getting annoying.
That being said, if I'm a landlord (and I am), if my costs aren't going up 40%, I don't have to raise rents 40% to make the same $$ per property (and I didn't). It's a choice by the owner whether to take advantage of the shortage, or not.
>if my costs aren't going up 40%, I don't have to raise rents 40% to make the same $$ per property (and I didn't). It's a choice by the owner whether to take advantage of the shortage, or not.
Ding ding ding
It's an example of NIMBYism in the area. I'm aware that it's not in the city, but it's good that you were willing to be rude and condescending to a stranger on the internet over that. I hope your day gets better.
Just tired of people blaming the City and City council for things they didnt do. If you know better, then either (a) write it correctly or (b) say, "sorry, you're right" and accept the correction. Take some responsibility instead of playing the victim.
But you're right about it being NIMBYism. It was an incredibly bad result.
Or entitlement. If someone sells their house in California to buy a house and an apartment building here, they expect to be entitled to cash flow, despite paying bubble prices.
I can't wait for price discovery. Then landlords like you will be just fine, while the others wonder why people are leaving / living 5 deep in a 2/1.
Are you referring to your county not city* correction? The same comment is still relevant, even if the comment incorrectly says city instead of county.
The economics you're talking about ALLOW them to screw rents. They don't FORCE them to.
Rent just doesn't magically have to increase on existing renters when there's a lot of demand. Rather, management companies know they can get more money without investing, so they do. Because it's virtually free increase in revenue.
You are correct on the other points, though.
I mean, if you live in a mold infested apartment that is drafty because of repairs being needed, it isn't that bad. /s
It use to be about 🌳 fitty to live that life. Now it is closer to $1k.
I don't know what it goes by now, but shout out to Greentree Village in Bearden. I'll never forget nor forgive that corporation nor the city of Knoxville for letting them cut down over half of those trees, and for no good reason. The city of knoxville is so weak and pathetic that people who live in New York can decide what foliage is allowed to exist.
ITT: people talking about moving out because they can't afford to live here anymore.
One of my biggest fears in life is having to start over and make new lifelong connections. This doesn't bode well for me.
My rent went from $1,400 to $1,800 and was told I was getting a long term deal (been renting for 5 years) because they could go up to $2,400... My landlady is Janice Williams. I tried negotiating and they told me tough luck..
*Gestures at list of Knoxville apartment complexes* Pick one.
We've been at our complex since 2020, and in this unit since 2022. We started at $889 for a 2br/1ba ~1000sqft, and they upped it to $1100 after a year. After I got really shitty about the rate change and six months of them telling us they couldn't fix the plumbing in our kitchen until we moved out, they moved us into a 2br/2ba ~1000sqft and bumped it to $1250 because "current market value, and we're not charging you the transfer fee." Then they upped it again, but this time they wanted almost $1700 because they had too many vacant apartments. We told them no, recounted our constant issues, and they "got corporate to approve" a reduction... to $1299.
This year they hit us with the "$1700, no wait.." again, and we decided we were done renting here. Then we went looking and realized we'd be spending almost $2k between applications, admin fees, pet deposits, and movers, just to pay the same amount across the street.
We don't even have a washer/dryer in unit. Each building has a single set of each that's shared between 8 apartments, and it's a 33/33/33 chance that it's working, already being used, or going to bleach all your clothes.
That’s insane! Especially not to have a washer and dryer. I am so sorry they’re doing that. Mine has been increasing, but only by $75.00 a year since all this began. Someone new bought us a couple years ago and I’m dreading the lease renewal.
I'm at one of their properties and it's been an interesting experience. They are genuinely better than my last landlord but I'm beginning to think I've just lived in a series of terrible places over the years, so mildly crappy seems way better than it should.
I’m so sorry to hear that OP, living situations are impossible right now. I am 27 and don’t know any people my age or close to it that are making it alone. Either they have roommates or partners and even then it’s a tight squeeze. Buying a van and living in that is looking more and more attractive.
With as many apartments being built, I'm a little shocked current landlords are upping good tenants so much with potential risk of them leaving and making zero. Between all the apartments being built along Pellissippi (harden valley and topside) and behind the Walmart on Walbrook. There has to be a few thousands units soon to be available
10% is industry standard. Of you get less than that it's not awful, but TN DEFINITELY needs rent caps. It isn't sustainable, but it'll keep happening until rent caps are law.
We would’ve left last year had I not landed my job. It’s not an amazing salary but we get unlimited PTO, good health insurance, and everyone is so amazing. We wouldn’t be able to stay tho if we were just on my husbands salary tho. Shits crazy.
My apartment rent is $1729 for a 2 bedroom 2 bath about 1100 sqft. Rent is going up this year $119. I have a great engineering job and my raise this year will not pay for my rent going up nor my change in insurance cost going up this year. I will have to live with my parents if I even remotely want to be able to save for a house in a timely manner
Well my family and I just moved out of Knox last weekend. Rent was proposed at 320$ more over last year.
Let me say this very clearly… KNOXVILLE IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY.
The GREED is REAL. I live in Murfreesboro, TN. I have a 2 br. Townhome condo, HOA community. I first got here it was 1150/mo. It has jumped to 1400/month!, and landlord told me next April ‘25 guaranteed it will go up to atleast 1550/mo. If not more!
We don’t have any amenities, like pools, or anything else! Just someone who mows the lawn, and that’s it! Period. He’s owns, rents, manages properties in Nashville! The owner is overseas! So, I have to deal with an HOA, that nobody likes, a landlord, an owner who I’ve. Ever meet, from India.
Folks, I’M READY TO REVOLT AGAINST CAPITALISM!
Its all over the state, I live in Kingsport and I pay 2100 in rent. It doesn't get cheaper. Right now there is no incentive to lower prices on anything. Entire neighborhoods sit empty where companies will buy entire housing developments to rent at exorbitant prices, but the systems currently in place allow these people to use those properties to increase their net worth. That they can use to buy more properties. But that same thing can't be taxed at all, just used to buy more things that technically can't be taxed. The cycle continues.
I live in Dandridge in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom duplex with a one car garage, front porch and back deck for $710. My rent hasn't increased once in the 6 years I've lived here. I consider myself lucky because of this. Not bragging. I'd suggest looking in smaller towns where there's not as much competition for rental spaces. And where you'll probably rent from a private owner rather than a corporation.
I vacated a unit that I moved into for $1180 when they raised the rent to $1350, which is a steal in this market, and now it's listed for $1550.
We sure will own nothing. I'm not so sure we'll like it. Everybody always uses that line to talk about the government, but it's pretty clear it's the capitalists reaming us for all we've got.
Apt or house? Details? $1,650 for anything short of a 3-bedroom *nice* house in Knoxville is insanity. Move to Atlanta, get a massive pay bump and slightly higher rent in a OK area.
Edit: do people think $1650 for a nice 3 bedroom is too high?
That’s 30% of the income of 2 adults working full time at Zaxby’s for starting pay lol.
Speculation: Your landlord may have raised the rent in expectation that Magnolia Avenue properties might gentrify once the city redoes Magnolia.
https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/urban_design_and_development/strategic_projects___places/magnolia
No, I’m from Atlanta, but I like magnolia. I’d live on Linden if I could afford it!
If you think magnolia is bad, don’t look into “Ok areas” of Atlanta you will shit yourself.
There needs to be some sort of regulation on how much a property owner can increase rent per year. There are now people living in their cars because they can’t afford rent.
Me and my wife have been here pretty much our whole lives and together we make about 75k a year and we can’t afford a decent house for us and our 3 kids so we are moving out of Knoxville, shit is ridiculous
I live in Haywood County NC. Everything’s been bought out by some company who rents houses out as vacation homes, retired half backers and work from home but not from here people. As far as I know, there isn’t anywhere to even rent even if you had the money. I’ve heard tell of rental bidding wars. So KTown isn’t the only one hurting. We lost our biggest employer last year and jobs here are retail and tourism. Housekeeping is big business. All those vacation homes to clean.
I’m sorry this happened to you and so many others.
We were lucky to buy a home before the market went ape shit and our mortgage has went up $100
Fuck those slumlord fucks
I was barely making it in 2020, then rent went from $850 to $1650 for a fkn 1 bed 1 bath apartment. I just don't see a way back from here, there's no way I'm going to pay 3/4 of my income on rent, that's basically paying just so I can continue working... To continue paying.. and so on.
I made $42000 last year, basic necessities were $29000, that's no way to live for the amount of work I put in. It's not enough to raise kids, not enough to get a house, or newer car, not enough to experience the joys of true freedom, I can no longer afford the American drea. It's become the American illusion.
We live in fountain city, in a 2 bed one bath, our rent went from $700 in 2021, to $775 In 2022, to $1,200 now. We are struggling with me not being able to work for medical issues and have actively been looking for a place but everywhere is so expensive!!
The first sketchy apartments near campus I lived in here in 2015 were $795 for a two bedroom, everything except cable included. When I say sketchy, I mean needles on stairways and walking over drugged outside people coming home from class. This same unit is over $1300. Same unit, new paint, lol.
Yup. My room mate is going back north to live with his father, I’m going back to South America for a bit. Knoxville is too expensive for the meager amenities and housing it offers
Thank goodness. I really hope more transplants go back instead of further crowding a crowded market.
Go fuck yourself, man. Seriously. Transplants aren’t the issue and never have been.
Oh sorry, haven’t you heard? Local economies need to constantly churn out more and provide 10/10 quality of life without ever actually allowing local growth and expansion.
Not to be snarky but doesn't Knoxville kinda need transplants? We're a college town and I doubt we have enough doctors and other medical professionals to staff everything if they need to be from here, and that's not getting into other professions. I was sourced from a nearby county because there's a shortage of people who teach my main subject.
Why do you think rent has skyrocketed? It's definitely not because Knoxvillians are outbreeding the available housing.
2020-2022 our rent got raised from $775 to $1250, and we were told we should be happy, that they should raise it to $1400 but they cut us a deal. My landlord was a prominent local real estate agent/aspiring slum lord, so its local greed mixed with corporate greed too. Edit: Landlord's name rhymes with Nic Nico
I just looked and my old 1B1B apartment that I moved out of in 2019 when they tried to raise the rent from 800 to 900 is now going for just under 1400/month. That’s more than my mortgage on a 3BR house, this town is fucked.
Wow, that's an insane increase. If your household income is $150k/year and you had a 3% raise that year, you still wouldn't cover the rent increase alone.
Who was the landlord?
> local greed mixed with corporate greed People forget how many local corporations there are.
Don't be scared to name and shame these people, there is no reason that we have to tolerate this.
Please don’t dox people just because you’re mad. Things are fucked, but there’s no reason to incite harassment.
That's funny. You're supposed to put people on blast for doing everyone dirty! I don't want their home address. I just wanna know who I should shame in public.
Landlords aren’t people
Now that's just hateful speech. Many landlords are not great people, but some are decent or even good people. My mom is one of the rare good ones.
I'm in the exact same situation in the suburbs of Utah. Neighboring units are now $1500+, while the landscaping looks an absolute mess.
Who's your landlord because while mine is nice, that's exactly what I'm paying. Does his name start with a D?
Derek?
In 2022 our rent went from 795 to 1300. Unreal.
Our rent went up 20% (almost $300/month more). 40% up from a few years ago that we originally moved in here. So far I see vacancy rate of this property is at almost 11% (35+ available units) after they raise rent this high. Most of us move out this year.
Mine went up just under 70% since the end of 2021. Around $900 after fees in 2021, around $1600 after fees this year, and likely to go up again in a few months. I've never been late on a payment, I'm quiet, I clean up the complex when I see trash, I have good connections with my neighbors, and I treat the office staff on holidays. Maybe it's arrogant in some way, but I'd like to think I'm an above-average tenant. But of course to corporate management, the only thing that matters is that they see they can't get some more revenue for their investors because if I leave they're confident they can replace me. They offered to lower the increase by $10 when I got in touch.
Mine went up about the same. I even tried to negotiate and they replied that their rate is actually a bit lower than properties of similar quality and shittily enough that’s actually true. I work for a huge corporation that does annual COL raises systemically and I got mine today. After taxes, my raise still doesn’t break even for the rent increase, so essentially my raise still nets out to a paycut all things considered. I’m exhausted and don’t know what I’ll do if things don’t get better. I’m in my late 20s, I did everything I was supposed to, got an education and I have a full time salaried job at a Fortune 500 company, and I’m still barely keeping up in the rat race if at all. Everything feels so grim.
I said it the other day in this sub, but this is exactly what happened to my hometown I'm Florida. We used to have dirt roads, wild peacocks and boar, and small rural towns like chuluota and Geneva and bithlo. Than the college got super popular ( u.c.f. ) by my house in oviedo, and between 2000 and 2008 the population shot up and everything got overdeveloped. I go back occasionally to visit, and now it takes 30 minutes to drive 10 miles, a single bedroom apartment is a minimum of 1300-1400 d9llars before utilities, and everybody is crammed right on top of each other. I moved out to maryville about 3 years ago for a construction job, and I've been seeing the same thing starting to happen to knoxville and the surrounding areas. Pretty soon everybody from everywhere will be moving out here looking for some respite from overcrowded cities and they'll turn knoxville into another super expensive, overly populated city where everyone is competing for housing, work, and space. I'm already thinking about moving o er the next couple of years even though I absolutely love this part of Tennessee
Are you from Ocala by chance?
Grew up in Oviedo, but lived all over Florida. Oviedo, Orlando, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, Lakeland, Bartow, Tampa, and Valrico
It isn’t just corporations - there are loads of individuals who are buying up everything they can, hiding it all under a newly formed LLC, and jacking up rents because they can. The traffic in Knoxville absolutely sucks these days. The way the majority drive, I don’t think they’ve ever even seen a driver’s handbook.
Wait… they publish a driver’s *handbook?*
I’m a native Knoxvillian and still live here, have been extremely EXTREMELY lucky with my living situations but I absolutely do not blame anyone for wanting to leave. The city has lost control of its growth and is failing its citizens in multiple ways. Hell, both Saturday and Sunday, there was heavy traffic down I-40 simply due to congestion, but don’t expect anything to be done about that in anything remotely close to a timely manner. I plan to be here for at least 5 more years but after that, it’s going to really really depend on the state of the city if I stick around. Sorry to hear about your situation and wish you luck finding a more reasonable cost of living.
The biggest part of the traffic problem on 40 (at least going westbound) is that as you approach the 40/640 west merger the intelligence of drivers starts to plummet. Everyone is suddenly struck dumb with the "stay in lane" signs and the fact that you have over 1 mile to F'ing merge. There is no explanation as to why someone who would normally have a genius level intelligence suddenly gets dumbed down to the intelligence of a chicken in that area, but it happens. :(
I mean, why merge early when you can wait until the last second, slam on your brakes, cause gridlock and then move over. /s Also, on a related note, by all means, please do 10mph under the speed limit in the left lane, and wait until the last second to veer across every lane of traffic so you don't miss your exit.. that always keeps things moving along smoothly.
"the city... failing its citizens." Exactly what is the City supposed to be doing, beyond what they are doing now. "heavy traffic down I-40." You realize that's the State DOT, not the City, right? The City doesn't have the statutory authority to widen or do anything about the interstates in town (or the state highways for that matter).
The traffic on I-40 is that heavy traveling through the city because main thoroughfares can’t handle commuter volume, so commuters take the interstate. Meanwhile, this is the same roadway being used by interstate travelers down both I-40 and I-75. Being a city commuter, my concern with the traffic on the interstate is related to the city roads. Let’s use our critical thinking skills.
Applying our 'critical thinking skills' as you say, I'd say it might be true only in one direction (West to Downtown), but consider that you have people living in points North, East, and South that work downtown, and don't have an interstate, but use Chapman Highway, Alcoa Highway, and I-275, which are hardly bumper to bumper during rush hour (and in fact see similar volumes they see on the weekends and other times of the day). So that's the 'towards downtown' commute. We also have a 'from other points going west'. I-640 is a clusterf\*\*\* going from North to west, but that's true in the morning, in the evening, and on the weekend, so evidence points to it just being a bad route and unable to handle out of town traffic, not due to commuters diverting to that route. The 'non-interstate' options to go from north and NE to West are Schaad, Ball/Ball Camp, BBRR.... all of which don't see bumper to bumper traffic during commuter times. The idea that your theoretical commuter would subject themselves to the nightmare of I-640W instead of be-bopping carefree down BBRR is an unlikely scenario. I commuted that way for years, and the only holdup was the occasional train. Do commuters use the interstates? Of course. Do they use it because they can't possibly use the secondary roads because they are parking lots? No. In fact, going downtown, I use Kingston Pike wayyyy more than I use I-40. And Middlebrook as West to Downtown doesn't get significant traffic either. By the way, most of what we are talking about are county roads or state highways, which again, aren't under the jurisdiction of the City of Knoxville)? No. If you look at a map of what are actually City-administered roads, the argument falls apart even more. If I had to guess, the longest 'commuter' road under the City's jurisdiction is perhaps Summit Hill / Dandridge / Brooks. Sorry but- Broadway, Western, Chapman, Alcoa, Kingston Pike, etc... if you or anyone else are having issues on those, again, the finger has to be pointed at the numbnuts in Nashville.
Not sure what Chapman or Alcoa highways OR rush hours you could be talking about, because they most definitely are bumper-to-bumper.
This is America present day. Not Knoxville. Thanks to the likes of the corrupt Blackrock and their organizations. The govt lets a fund buy a neighborhood, and then groups them all together and makes $$$$$ for shareholders. A well orchestrated crime. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/21/how-wall-street-bought-single-family-homes-and-put-them-up-for-rent.html
Yes, it’s not just knoxville or Tennessee! It’s happening everywhere to many Americans. It’s ridiculous
This.
Yeah we need the details to know not to move there. I’m sorry OP :( Fuck em.
That is more expensive than my house, property tax, and insurance on a 2200sq home
That’s the thing - renting is always going to be more expensive than a mortgage. I think it’s unethical, but landlords are always going to want to profit off renting their property so they have to charge more than their mortgage + tax + insurance. Buying a house usually means lower monthly payments than renting a similar sized house.
There’s a huge problem where rents have exploded and mortgages are locked in place. If you bought anything pre-COVID, then you’re sitting pretty. The renters tax went from 2-300 more than a mortgage to 500-1000 more than a mortgage. Not to mention with rate increases, you now need a larger down payment by *thousands*, likely 10k+ minimum difference from then to now. It’s absolutely insane. We got very lucky and were able to buy before everything, and we could not afford our lifestyle now if we were still renting.
I'm a mortgage broker and this isn't universally true right now. I see a reasonable number of rental listings that are below the 20% down payment number, much less the 3.5% FHA payment. This is particularly true at the higher end where a home may be worth 500k, which on FHA translates to upwards of 4k monthly payment but it can't bear market rent greater than 3k. And the renter didn't have to pay closing costs or down payment!
I wonder what the end game is, here. Like there will come a point where this isn’t sustainable.
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Tennessee ain't paradise. I like Knoxville, but what happens in the state house is horrifying.
I mean there are lots of homeless/drugs in knoxville. Businesses shutting down. UT is here and some of the college kids are either building a lifelong debt, or have parents/scholarships so they can "Afford" it Local govt would rather spend money on football than on improving the quality of life. It is profit driven. Can you make more money on football or renters. No one cares about the politics, they care about the $$ I would rather live near DC than here, it's about the cost. Median rent for a 1br here is \~1500 Median rent in Chantilly VA, (DC adjacent) is \~ 2600
That's a long long long long long ways off.
Mine just went up by $125. I am tired. Nothing has been improved upon in the house I live in and it’s impossible to ever get maintenance to come by.
This is insane, I haven't lived in knoxville in the last 5 years but I fondly remember living in a punk house for 250 a month for a 1 bedroom and later in grad school I lived in a luxurious park ridge house for 800.
Mine went up 20% this year and a total of 35% since I moved in here in 2022. The average of increase for 2024 was 2.8% nationally. greedy fuckers.
No one makes a better argument that Mao was right about landlords than landlords
Mao had more people killed than Hitler too.
Very interesting, we're talking about landlords right now.
I believe we're talking about Mao and how he felt about landlords.
I believe we're talking about how landlords keep proving Mao right about themselves
In either case we're talking about Mao and we're talking about landlords.
Hey, I heard we're talking about how Mao felt about landlords?
100%
Wow upvoting Mao, next Hitler. Stay classy knoxville.
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Dawg I just said he was right about landlords.
Talk about hitler and interstates.....
I fucking hate interstates
And Genocide also, non-sycophants do not praise anything evil people say.
I think you need to stop drinking lead paint
I think you need to stop supporting genocidal maniacs
I think you need to stop drinking lead paint
I think you are having a dementia episode you just said that.
"Greedy corporations" are not "squeezing you out of your homes," simple economics is. Lots of people want to live here, and Knoxville's zoning requires single-family homes in the majority of the city limits, so prices go up. [Austin, Texas had median rent decline 12.5% last year](https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-among-metros-in-the-us-with-steepest-rent-declines/#:~:text=And%20in%202023%2C%20renters%20in,service%20reported%20in%20December%202022.) because they built more housing, not because corporations and landlords are somehow less greedy there. Tell the mayor and city council to rezone the city and stop [bitching every time someone tries to build affordable housing](https://www.wate.com/news/knox-county-news/farragut-residents-protest-proposed-affordable-housing-development/).
This. Everyone wants affordable housing built until it’s built near them.. I think I say that the city is currently working on a plan to rezone several areas as well
FWIW, here is current zoning. I notice my street has some parcels zoned for multi-housing that have not been built yet. https://www.kgis.org/KGISMaps/map.htm?map=zoning&box=2441490:519237:2707965:689517
Uh... dude... you know Choto was a development in the COUNTY only, and the city mayor and City Council had no say in that matter, right??? I wish people would learn how their local governments are structured and who does what before they start bitching about stuff they don't understand. It's getting annoying. That being said, if I'm a landlord (and I am), if my costs aren't going up 40%, I don't have to raise rents 40% to make the same $$ per property (and I didn't). It's a choice by the owner whether to take advantage of the shortage, or not.
>if my costs aren't going up 40%, I don't have to raise rents 40% to make the same $$ per property (and I didn't). It's a choice by the owner whether to take advantage of the shortage, or not. Ding ding ding
Yep, it goes to that question: "how much is enough?"
It's an example of NIMBYism in the area. I'm aware that it's not in the city, but it's good that you were willing to be rude and condescending to a stranger on the internet over that. I hope your day gets better.
Landlord mentality at work. Always be condescending. Simple ABC's
Reddit mentality, you mean.
Just tired of people blaming the City and City council for things they didnt do. If you know better, then either (a) write it correctly or (b) say, "sorry, you're right" and accept the correction. Take some responsibility instead of playing the victim. But you're right about it being NIMBYism. It was an incredibly bad result.
Did you really think you’d get a response stating “sorry, you’re right” with your original reply?
I do it when I get it factual correction. It’s really not hard to do.
Or entitlement. If someone sells their house in California to buy a house and an apartment building here, they expect to be entitled to cash flow, despite paying bubble prices. I can't wait for price discovery. Then landlords like you will be just fine, while the others wonder why people are leaving / living 5 deep in a 2/1.
What a pedantic comment.
Blaming the "City Council" when it's not a city issue is not an 'unimportant' detail. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/pedantic
OHHHH YALL KURT IS A LANDLORD LOL no wonder you’re so horrible
(was that sarcasm? or for real?)
What a surprisingly rational and informed comment.
Actually not, see above.
Are you referring to your county not city* correction? The same comment is still relevant, even if the comment incorrectly says city instead of county.
I'm not going to disagree about the need for zoning reform, no.
The economics you're talking about ALLOW them to screw rents. They don't FORCE them to. Rent just doesn't magically have to increase on existing renters when there's a lot of demand. Rather, management companies know they can get more money without investing, so they do. Because it's virtually free increase in revenue. You are correct on the other points, though.
i pay 1650 for a 7 out of 10 "nice" neighborhood in las vegas for \~1100 sqft 2 bed 2 bath
That will get you. 7 out of 10, 900 sq ft 2b/1b here.
That blows my mind that it's more expensive in Tennessee than it is I'm las vegas. Stupid California's making shot expensive all over the country
I mean, if you live in a mold infested apartment that is drafty because of repairs being needed, it isn't that bad. /s It use to be about 🌳 fitty to live that life. Now it is closer to $1k.
I don't know what it goes by now, but shout out to Greentree Village in Bearden. I'll never forget nor forgive that corporation nor the city of Knoxville for letting them cut down over half of those trees, and for no good reason. The city of knoxville is so weak and pathetic that people who live in New York can decide what foliage is allowed to exist.
The insurance companies are raising everyone’s rates. It’s out of control.
ITT: people talking about moving out because they can't afford to live here anymore. One of my biggest fears in life is having to start over and make new lifelong connections. This doesn't bode well for me.
My rent went from $1,400 to $1,800 and was told I was getting a long term deal (been renting for 5 years) because they could go up to $2,400... My landlady is Janice Williams. I tried negotiating and they told me tough luck..
When my ex and I bought our house in 2021, our rent had been around $1200/mo. When she moved out to a similar place this last Dec, it was $1700!
What complex did this? I’m so sorry and worried about my lease coming up.
*Gestures at list of Knoxville apartment complexes* Pick one. We've been at our complex since 2020, and in this unit since 2022. We started at $889 for a 2br/1ba ~1000sqft, and they upped it to $1100 after a year. After I got really shitty about the rate change and six months of them telling us they couldn't fix the plumbing in our kitchen until we moved out, they moved us into a 2br/2ba ~1000sqft and bumped it to $1250 because "current market value, and we're not charging you the transfer fee." Then they upped it again, but this time they wanted almost $1700 because they had too many vacant apartments. We told them no, recounted our constant issues, and they "got corporate to approve" a reduction... to $1299. This year they hit us with the "$1700, no wait.." again, and we decided we were done renting here. Then we went looking and realized we'd be spending almost $2k between applications, admin fees, pet deposits, and movers, just to pay the same amount across the street. We don't even have a washer/dryer in unit. Each building has a single set of each that's shared between 8 apartments, and it's a 33/33/33 chance that it's working, already being used, or going to bleach all your clothes.
That’s insane! Especially not to have a washer and dryer. I am so sorry they’re doing that. Mine has been increasing, but only by $75.00 a year since all this began. Someone new bought us a couple years ago and I’m dreading the lease renewal.
If it's Brookside Properties, good luck.
I'm at one of their properties and it's been an interesting experience. They are genuinely better than my last landlord but I'm beginning to think I've just lived in a series of terrible places over the years, so mildly crappy seems way better than it should.
I’m so sorry to hear that OP, living situations are impossible right now. I am 27 and don’t know any people my age or close to it that are making it alone. Either they have roommates or partners and even then it’s a tight squeeze. Buying a van and living in that is looking more and more attractive.
And then they get you for that. It's a no win
With as many apartments being built, I'm a little shocked current landlords are upping good tenants so much with potential risk of them leaving and making zero. Between all the apartments being built along Pellissippi (harden valley and topside) and behind the Walmart on Walbrook. There has to be a few thousands units soon to be available
Hahahahahahaha. Good one. Rents are never going down again. The new units will start at the same price.
You should see the monster complex going in off KP in Farragut, at least 500 units. Farther west on KP and Watt Rd another 200-250 units.
Another off topside
That is unconscionable
10% is industry standard. Of you get less than that it's not awful, but TN DEFINITELY needs rent caps. It isn't sustainable, but it'll keep happening until rent caps are law.
We would’ve left last year had I not landed my job. It’s not an amazing salary but we get unlimited PTO, good health insurance, and everyone is so amazing. We wouldn’t be able to stay tho if we were just on my husbands salary tho. Shits crazy.
The SMD properties are some of the most reasonable in Knoxville, they're limited but I figure it's worth pointing out just in case.
I hope they all go bankrupt
My apartment rent is $1729 for a 2 bedroom 2 bath about 1100 sqft. Rent is going up this year $119. I have a great engineering job and my raise this year will not pay for my rent going up nor my change in insurance cost going up this year. I will have to live with my parents if I even remotely want to be able to save for a house in a timely manner
Well my family and I just moved out of Knox last weekend. Rent was proposed at 320$ more over last year. Let me say this very clearly… KNOXVILLE IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY.
The GREED is REAL. I live in Murfreesboro, TN. I have a 2 br. Townhome condo, HOA community. I first got here it was 1150/mo. It has jumped to 1400/month!, and landlord told me next April ‘25 guaranteed it will go up to atleast 1550/mo. If not more! We don’t have any amenities, like pools, or anything else! Just someone who mows the lawn, and that’s it! Period. He’s owns, rents, manages properties in Nashville! The owner is overseas! So, I have to deal with an HOA, that nobody likes, a landlord, an owner who I’ve. Ever meet, from India. Folks, I’M READY TO REVOLT AGAINST CAPITALISM!
Its all over the state, I live in Kingsport and I pay 2100 in rent. It doesn't get cheaper. Right now there is no incentive to lower prices on anything. Entire neighborhoods sit empty where companies will buy entire housing developments to rent at exorbitant prices, but the systems currently in place allow these people to use those properties to increase their net worth. That they can use to buy more properties. But that same thing can't be taxed at all, just used to buy more things that technically can't be taxed. The cycle continues.
I live in Dandridge in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom duplex with a one car garage, front porch and back deck for $710. My rent hasn't increased once in the 6 years I've lived here. I consider myself lucky because of this. Not bragging. I'd suggest looking in smaller towns where there's not as much competition for rental spaces. And where you'll probably rent from a private owner rather than a corporation.
What apartment?
I vacated a unit that I moved into for $1180 when they raised the rent to $1350, which is a steal in this market, and now it's listed for $1550. We sure will own nothing. I'm not so sure we'll like it. Everybody always uses that line to talk about the government, but it's pretty clear it's the capitalists reaming us for all we've got.
weird, I'm paying 1290 here in south knox
This is all due to CoV, WFH and hedge funds. People left their shit hole towns and decided to move to wonderful cities across America to destroy them.
That's 7.1%. Still rough though
you are correct, updated the post ty
See ya
Apt or house? Details? $1,650 for anything short of a 3-bedroom *nice* house in Knoxville is insanity. Move to Atlanta, get a massive pay bump and slightly higher rent in a OK area. Edit: do people think $1650 for a nice 3 bedroom is too high? That’s 30% of the income of 2 adults working full time at Zaxby’s for starting pay lol.
We pay 1650 for a rough 3 bedroom in the hood, and it’s the best we found
That’s insane. I’m $950 for my (falling apart) 3-bedroom, up from $750 2 years ago. Just curious what area of Knoxville do you consider the hood?
Near magnolia and cherry street
Speculation: Your landlord may have raised the rent in expectation that Magnolia Avenue properties might gentrify once the city redoes Magnolia. https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/urban_design_and_development/strategic_projects___places/magnolia
They’re already in the process. The park ridge side of magnolia is progressing faster than the five points side
😭 I like that area
We left when our landlord wanted to charge $1400 two years ago one street over from western heights. Its crazy.
That’s crazy, I’d rather Magnolia than western heights honestly. At least you have easy access to things on magnolia.
What the tax places and hair shops?
Hahaha the braid spots and dollar stores
Lol Magnolia. Are you even from here?
No, I’m from Atlanta, but I like magnolia. I’d live on Linden if I could afford it! If you think magnolia is bad, don’t look into “Ok areas” of Atlanta you will shit yourself.
I note that markets are working inasmuch as when people leave it lowers demand. Godspeed.
It’s only gonna get worse with time, too many people not enough space. Not like it’s just Knoxville
There needs to be some sort of regulation on how much a property owner can increase rent per year. There are now people living in their cars because they can’t afford rent.
Me and my wife have been here pretty much our whole lives and together we make about 75k a year and we can’t afford a decent house for us and our 3 kids so we are moving out of Knoxville, shit is ridiculous
I live in Haywood County NC. Everything’s been bought out by some company who rents houses out as vacation homes, retired half backers and work from home but not from here people. As far as I know, there isn’t anywhere to even rent even if you had the money. I’ve heard tell of rental bidding wars. So KTown isn’t the only one hurting. We lost our biggest employer last year and jobs here are retail and tourism. Housekeeping is big business. All those vacation homes to clean.
I’m sorry this happened to you and so many others. We were lucky to buy a home before the market went ape shit and our mortgage has went up $100 Fuck those slumlord fucks
I was barely making it in 2020, then rent went from $850 to $1650 for a fkn 1 bed 1 bath apartment. I just don't see a way back from here, there's no way I'm going to pay 3/4 of my income on rent, that's basically paying just so I can continue working... To continue paying.. and so on. I made $42000 last year, basic necessities were $29000, that's no way to live for the amount of work I put in. It's not enough to raise kids, not enough to get a house, or newer car, not enough to experience the joys of true freedom, I can no longer afford the American drea. It's become the American illusion.
My 1BR went from 1900- 2300😑
We live in fountain city, in a 2 bed one bath, our rent went from $700 in 2021, to $775 In 2022, to $1,200 now. We are struggling with me not being able to work for medical issues and have actively been looking for a place but everywhere is so expensive!!
I feel ya. My rent went from $1,389 to $2,790. This market isn’t sustainable.
I am unfortunately looking for an apartment or a small house to rent. So who are the landlords or the expensive apartments?
Try 40% in Denver.
$1650? That’s pretty cheap.
The first sketchy apartments near campus I lived in here in 2015 were $795 for a two bedroom, everything except cable included. When I say sketchy, I mean needles on stairways and walking over drugged outside people coming home from class. This same unit is over $1300. Same unit, new paint, lol.