Florida Halfbacks Heading to the Great Smoky Mountains

In years passed, a "halfback"meant something much different than it does today. During pro football's golden era of the fifties and sixties, we had our share of halfback heroes, Frank Gifford, Paul Hornung, Lenny Moore and Gale Sayers. They glorified the position with spectacular, galloping runs across the gridiron with a combination of speed and grace.

Now that the word "halfback", along with "flanker" and other now nostalgic phrases from a bygone era are no longer part of the football lexicon, halfback has taken on a new meaning. Today, halfback describes a new real estate trend. A Florida halfback is someone who years ago relocated to Florida to escape the cold harsh winters of Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and many other of our wintry northern states. Now, for various reasons, they have made the decision to leave Florida, but are not willing to go all the back and experience freezing temperatures again, but go halfway back, to the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia, where the winters are mild and the opportunities abundant. This is why they are called "Florida Halfbacks".

The developers of The Ridges at Tellico Lake, a new gated community in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains believe that over half of their residents will be "Halfbacks" from Florida. Why are they leaving Florida and heading halfway back? There are many reasons. Some choose to live seasonally in the mountain areas, avoiding the summer heat in Florida. The summers are much more comfortable in these mountain regions, so many are choosing the mountain lifestyle as a summer retreat. The majority of the halfbacks however are searching for a long term alternative to the Florida lifestyle they sought in years past. So why the move for these Florida Halfbacks?

A slower real estate market, high property tax and insurance rates are a key reason. The summer heat of course and concern over hurricanes is another factor. Many are getting more home for the money. Many areas in Florida have seen property values increase at a phenomenal rate over the past 20 years, pushing prices up and value down. Plus, one of the most significant reasons many people came down to Florida originally was to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. With Florida's rapid growth in population and industry, halfbacks are finding in the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains the quiet lifestlye they once enjoyed in Florida. There are new employment opportunities in many of these mountain areas and many opportunities to invest in gorgeous mountain properties with exquisite mountain views.

New mountain communities, like The Ridges at Tellico Lake are offering homesties up to 3 acres in size, which is also attractive to the halfback who feels the need for more space, as Florida continues to grow and large homesites are becoming a thing of the past.

For more information about The Ridges at Tellico Lake, please visit www.theridgesattellicolake.com or call 239-253-2332.