Brian R Kelly

Tag: Lookout Valley

  • Raccoon Mountain Inspires This Real Estate Agent

    Raccoon Mountain Inspires this real estate agent
    Raccoon Mountain Inspires this real estate agent

    Raccoon Mountain inspires this real estate agent.

    Last Friday I spent a good chunk of the day at TVA’s Raccoon Mountain.   TVA Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant is located just outside of Chattanooga and Lookout Valley.  Lookout Valley has been home to my family almost 13 years.  One of the most incredible blessings of this area is the TVA Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant.  The plant itself is an engineering marvel, but I am referring to the park and trail area in this article.  The park area is home to 21 miles of trails, picnic areas, boat ramp, and so much more.

    I need to bring balance into my life.  One of the most important relationships in my life is the one I have with my daughter.  She is a young adult, but to her papa she is still my little girl.  So what can be better than a day in the “park”.  We hiked a bike trail that meandered near the bluffs.  We played frisbee at the ball field.    We met volunteers near the volleyball area.   The volunteers normally greet folks at the visitor’s center.  The visitor’s center was closed for repairs this day so they were outside.  They handed us maps and told us stories about the facility and area.  But the best part happened when one lady pointed out a strange bug moving.  The bug was a cicada coming out of the shell.  We experienced a “birth”.  We took pictures and studied the intricacy of its new wings.

    Raccoon Mountain’s natural area has been a family favorite for the 13 years we have lived in Lookout Valley.  I love the views it the area offers.  Whether it is a picnic by the Tennessee River in the river gorge or watching eagles from the Visitor’s Center overlook, there is always something fun to see.  It provides a green peaceful place to see the beauty of our area from many different vistas.

    Mountain bikers love Raccoon Mountain.  Check out this website for events of SORBA, (Chattanooga Chapter of the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association).  We noticed a new biking parking facility with amenities for changing, air, and washing.

    We are not mountain bikers, but we found it easy to share the trails with them.  Regardless of  your interests or time, I highly recommend a visit to an incredibly beautiful spot.  Raccoon Mountain inspires this real estate agent and it very well can be a worthwhile visit for you as well.

     

  • Cummings Cove Fountain becomes Black Creek Mountain

    Former Cummings Cove fountain now Black Creek Mountain
    Former Cummings Cove fountain now Black Creek Mountain
    Cummings Cove fountain becomes Black Creek Mountain. Black Creek Mountain is the name chosen for the entire development that includes the former Cummings Cove neighborhood and Black Creek Golf Club. The new developers purchased a majority interest in the project which includes brow property on Mount Aetna overlooking Chattanooga, TN. Downtown Chattanooga is less than 10 minutes away around the Moccasin Bend of the Tennessee River. Cummings Cove is the original neighborhood marketed along side Black Creek Golf Club. Cummings Cove is not the only name change in the immediate area. Ask a local what the name of 37419 really is, you will get three answers 1.) Tiftonia, 2.) Wauhatchie, 3.) Lookout Valley. A decent history of the area name changes is at this website.

    The name change for Black Creek Mountain is very smart for marketing purposes. The only confusing part is explaining to someone I live in the valley of a neighborhood called Black Creek Mountain. The glorious part is that Mount Aetna stands tall and apparent waiting to be scaled. (That is another story or two that is still being written). Back to my story.

    In 1999, Sue Shaw and Greg Shaw introduced my parents to Cummings Cove. Jim Chapin, the developer, was looking for marketing and sales support. Support in the way of commitment. My parents, Ben and Karen Kelly, asked me to go to a meeting off Cummings Road to meet with Jim Chapin. Jim explained his vision and I saw the potential success of the project immediately because of the the age old axiom of real estate, Location, Location, Location. Development in Hamilton County, TN was primarily North towards Soddy Daisy, and East, towards East Brainerd and Ooltewah. Commute times to these corners of Hamilton County, TN were approaching 30-55 minutes in rush hour. This neighborhood was less than 10 minutes from downtown and had an interstate (I-24) and U.S. Highway 41 to get you there. The challenge was to educate folks about the driving time and that Lookout Valley was not only a fun place to play, but a wonderful place to call home.

    Jim Chapin, Cummings Cove developer, is a gifted man. He has a great vision for what a neighborhood space will become, a razor sharp numbers brain and he wisely listened to other developers who had pulled off other successful projects. I had cut my teeth on retail home sales, but had to quickly learn how to focus only on new construction. I traveled to Raleigh, NC, and Orlando, FL, with others to meet with New Home Marketing and Sales organizations. I joined the Builder Marketing Society and read the bible for new home sales “New Home Marketing” by Dave Stone. Building a team that could market and sell this golf course community was truly intense and fun.

    I truly think that one aspect of the neighborhood’s success was Jim Chapin’s core understanding of marketing. He grew up in the family that built and stewarded Rock City Gardens. Rock City is an icon of the community that had a history along side Judge Will Cummings and the building of Highway 41 (If you are a child of the 70s and know Rambling Man lyrics) or Cumming’s Highway (as locals know it). Judge Will Cummings was a colorful man that literally helped pave the way for traveller’s to visit Famous Rock City. I met Jim on the porch where (it is speculated that the concept of TVA was born on the same porch) Franklin Roosevelt visited with Will Cummings.

    This was the start of my journey selling Cummings Cove, “Chattanooga’s Premier Golf Course Community”. The first sales office was the old Will Cummings home place. My family got involved as Mary Dee, my wife, helped decorate the Cummings home place for Christmas, and cooked for the builder team.

    1999, the year of Y2K and the dawn of a new century. A dawn of a new neighborhood that did change Lookout Valley and provided a home for my family for the last 12 years.

    Cummings Cove fountain becomes Black Creek Mountain, and for the story to continue, I am glad it did. For a brief view of what the neighborhood is like, check out this short 2 minute video.