Is now a good time to invest in the Smokies?

[Collin Hays]

I see variations of this question posted weekly on this forum.  The question, itself, is a fallacy, because it is asking a general question about a general area.  It's like asking "is this a good time to invest in the stock market?"  If you invested in Tesla a decade ago, yes it was.  If you instead invested in Nikola, no it wasn't.

No matter where you invest, you are only looking for one good deal.  You aren't "investing in the Smokies".  You are investing in one deal.  Over 18 years of investing in eastern TN, I have made bad deals in good times, and good deals in bad times.  Ironically, over that 18 years, the best "deal" I ever scored was in 2021, near the peak of prices. 

In your investing life, try to avoid asking broad questions.  Learn about what it is you want to invest in so that you are intimately familiar with it.  You are now an educated investor, and apt to make more sound decisions than poor ones.  The Smokies are as good an area to invest in as any.  

[Caleb Miller]

I bought a cabin earlier this year in the smokies at a "terrible time" to invest with a terrible interest rate but am still cash flowing a little. I crunched numbers for months and finally found something that still made sense during a tough time in the short term rental market. You can make money at any time during any market, strategies just have to change. I am not focused on instant cash flow in year 1 but focused more on the 5-10 year outlook.