Spontaneity Breeds Joy

When Joel (51) and Allison (55) of Ashburn, VA, began thinking of their upcoming retirement, it didn’t take long to make the decision that will shape their futures. Joel had been dreaming of buying a boat in retirement when he received a brochure in the mail inviting them to a dinner presentation for WindRiver, a lake and golf community on Tellico Lake in Tennessee in June of 2017. At the dinner, they booked a Discovery tour for two months later. And, they fell in love with WindRiver.

Allison says, “From the exploration and decision-making process, WindRiver does a good job of aligning Discovery weekends with community events. When we went there, they had amazing live music and a beautifully catered dinner in the evening. As it got dark, the lights were up over the pool for ambiance. We met so many community residents at that social event. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. It gave us the sense that ‘yeah, we could really see ourselves here.’ The residents showed up and shared their stories and welcomed us. It all added to the feeling that this is the place that we want to be.”

“We’re not that spontaneous!” they both insisted, but they purchased a homesite that weekend and have no regrets. Joel said, “We looked at several different lots. Tom Conwell, our sales agent (and now friend), was kind enough to take us out on his boat and show us the homesite from the water, and that’s what sold us. Allison says, “The whole perspective of the community from the view of the lake was very impressive, not to mention that the appeal of living there is all about the lake. That’s what made us imagine that we could do this daily.”

“To see a sunset on that lake is just amazing. The beauty of it sold me,” said Joel. And, the fact that Tennessee won’t tax their federal pensions was a huge bonus as they are both retiring from the federal government at the end of this summer. Not to mention, Tennessee is known for its lower property taxes.

They are currently in the process of building their new home on their lakefront lot. The new home will be larger than the one they currently inhabit. Allison says, “It’s a home designed for a different lifestyle. It’s lake living that capitalizes on the views with different dedicated spaces for entertaining and hosting family and friends. We want visitors. The home has carefully thought out spaces.”

Joel is a golfer, and Allison wants to learn. They are excited that their new-found time will offer the ability for a very active lifestyle. They plan to purchase a boat and keep it in the WindRiver marina. They also plan to keep kayaks and paddleboards near the lake for easy access. Tellico Lake is a 16,000acre lake fed by the streams of the Great Smoky Mountains that is only 30 minutes away from downtown Knoxville.

So happy with their decision, Allison brought some of their friends to the ideal-LIVING real estate show in Northern Virginia to help them get an idea of what is out there. She says, “This is a really interesting forum giving exposure to a lot of communities in a big swath of geography in one place. It was very well organized. It enabled them to get a ton of information in a compressed amount of time.”