What do you think of Campbell County/La Follette for Investing?

[Benjamin Barredo]

Does anyone have an opinion about La Follette's market?

I have a motivated seller and she and her husband inherited a 3/1 SFR, 1443sqft on a .5 acre lot off of S 25W Hwy right off of I75 about an hour north of downtown Knoxville.

If the addition meets code, it's actually a 4/1.

The tax records says it's got a TMV of $43,500 and a realtor I know gave it an ARV of $80-$100,000.

The absentee owners live out of state and have already had a horrible experience with nightmare tenants and they don't want to deal with it anymore. She gave the inside of the home a rating of 5 out of 10, and told my partner it needs wiring so I'm going to guess that it needs a gut job.

I haven't been up there yet because I am afraid to take it on as my first wholesale because of where it is. I don't know the market and my last trip up there showed me a small rural town with very little growth. However, considering her desire to get it under contract by next week makes me think I could probably get this house for dirt cheap.

Any rehabbers or landlords in Knoxville have an opinion on the subject? I don't want to leave this woman hanging but I was supposed to call her last night and here it is almost Thursday evening and I haven't contacted her. I don't want to say no if it's a good deal but I don't want to get her in a contract and then let her down, putting her right back in her original position.

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alec Harmon]

I know this is a bit late, but Lafollette is a lower income area by nature, so you know how the possible choices of tenants will be due to that.  Depending on if it's above the Caryville/Jacksboro area or not, the wages up that way tend to drop, as well as number of businesses.  You may be able to get the property for a low price, but it's a steady gamble depending on how far north it is. The area is just too far away from civilization to be highly regarded by anyone other than retirees; either that or a really bangin' house worth the 30min commute to get groceries.  If it were me, I'd consider something closer to surrounding Knoxville, as you have the potential to make increasingly safer cash-flows the closer you get to Anderson/Knox county.  Good luck!