Tennessee National vs Rarity Bay: What Should You Compare?

If you are shopping lake and golf communities southwest of Knoxville, two names come up fast: Tennessee National and Rarity Bay. They are in the same corner of East Tennessee, and you can see both in one weekend.

They are not the same place, and they are not on the same lake. We know our community. We will not guess at theirs. So here is a fair way to compare them: the same questions, asked at both.

Where are Tennessee National and Rarity Bay?

Tennessee National is on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee. Rarity Bay is on Tellico Lake in Vonore, Tennessee.

Tennessee National is about 30 minutes from Knoxville and about 10 minutes from I-75. Vonore is south of Loudon, closer to the mountains. The two are near enough to visit on the same weekend.

How are the two lakes different?

They are separate TVA lakes, so what you can reach by boat is different from each one.

Watts Bar Lake is a reservoir on the Tennessee River. It has more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir, with locks that connect it to the rest of the river system. The Tennessee National marina is inside the gates. See marina and lake life.

Tellico Lake is its own reservoir, nearby. Do not take anyone's word for how the two compare. Get out on both if you can. Then ask at each community:

• Where does my boat stay, and is a slip available now?
• What can I reach by water in an afternoon?
• How much does the lake level change between summer and winter?

On Watts Bar Lake, the seasonal change is about 5 to 6 feet. TVA posts current levels for its lakes. For a closer look at the water itself, read Watts Bar Lake vs Tellico Lake.

What should you ask about golf at both?

Ask what the course is like to play every week, and exactly what membership includes.

Tennessee National has one Greg Norman Signature course: 18 holes, 7,393 yards, par 72. Membership questions go to the club. See golf.

For golf at Rarity Bay, ask Rarity Bay. Then put the same four questions to both:

• Is membership required, optional or separate from owning a home?
• What does membership include, and what costs extra?
• How busy is the tee sheet on weekend mornings?
• What are the rules for guests?

Play at both if you can. The right course is the one you would be happy to play three times a week.

What should you ask about fees and building?

Ask for every recurring cost and every building rule in writing before you compare prices.

• What are the owner association fees, and what do they cover?
• Are club fees separate from association fees?
• Are there slip fees or storage fees?
• Is there a deadline to build after I buy a homesite?
• What does design review require?
• Can I bring my own builder?

Here are the Tennessee National answers we can give in a blog post. There is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Homes are custom built and go through design review. There are five ways to own: The Timbers wooded homesites, lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages and townhomes. Pricing is in the info pack.

For Rarity Bay, ask Rarity Bay. A build deadline changes your plans, so get that answer in writing wherever you buy.

How do you plan one weekend for both?

Give each community most of a day, and eat a meal at each if you can.

At Tennessee National, see the streets by golf cart if you can. Walk the marina and the lakefront boardwalk in the Marina District. Have lunch at Kendall's if you can. Ask what is on the calendar that week. There are 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year, so there is usually something going on.

Do the same at Rarity Bay. Then drive your real errands from each community: groceries, the hospital you would use, the airport. From Tennessee National, Loudon is about 5 minutes away, Lenoir City about 15, Farragut and Turkey Creek shopping about 20, and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) about 35.

On the drive home, compare notes while both visits are fresh.

The honest trade-off

Tennessee National has one golf course and one marina, and homes go through design review. If you want something we do not have, find that out on the visit, not after closing.

Rarity Bay has its own strengths and its own trade-offs. Let them tell you what those are.

Two visits, one list, one weekend. Confirm current details directly with Rarity Bay. We can only speak for Tennessee National. If other communities in the area are on your list, see Tennessee National vs Tellico Village and Tennessee National vs WindRiver.

Facts about Tennessee National come from the community. Lake facts come from TVA. Rules, taxes, loans and insurance change, so confirm anything that affects a purchase with the right office or professional before you buy.