I plan to visit Knoxville mid October and was looking to learn more about the market.

Also possibly considering the Knoxville tn area as I will be moving there in the future but I keep hearing about how competitive the fix n flip market is and lack of deals sitting around.... 

When looking for homes in your price range if you are choosing to spend 175k all in one property (which I hope you'll consider BRRRR'ing out of) it's safe to say in Chattanooga and Knoxville you can look at areas 10-15 minutes outside of downtown.

I’m looking For info on what areas to focus on and what areas to avoid in Knoxville TN

Hello Bailey I am an investor in the small town of Athens TN. 45 minutes from either Knoxville or Chattanooga.

However, I can read the title of your post, and I'm an agent in Knoxville that has plenty of multi-family listing and selling experience.

Head to TN, find an agent/property manager in Knoxville or Clarksville where the numbers make sense.

Knoxville, TN has recently been a great market for that.

I specialize in the Nashville market but I lived in Knoxville for 3 years.

And even though it goes against state statutes, some TN courts actually give prior owners 3 years to file suit to redeem the property.Your best bet is to get familiar with the TN state laws on tax deed sales, redemption and getting clear title.Here's a start: Scroll down to "Tax Sale Information" section http://www.tennesseetrustee.com/node/142A lawyer's interpretation of the tax deed procedures in TN: http://www.notestinelaw.com/pdf/property_sales_tax.pdfThese ought to get you started. 10% is a decent rate for a year and the prospect of getting title to the property after a year (even with the possible 3 year redemption) is pretty good too.I have not invested in TN as of yet. but I'm looking at a few areas near the larger cities like Nashville, Knoxville, etc.