Tennessee National vs WindRiver: What Should You Ask Both?

Tennessee National and WindRiver are two names East Tennessee buyers put side by side. Both pair a lake with golf. Both are within reach of Knoxville. On paper they can look like the same thing.

They are not, and the differences are the kind you find in person. We will not describe WindRiver for them. Here is how to compare the two on a visit, with the questions that sort it out.

Where are Tennessee National and WindRiver?

Tennessee National is on Watts Bar Lake in Loudon, Tennessee. WindRiver is on Tellico Lake in Lenoir City, Tennessee.

Loudon and Lenoir City are neighboring towns in Loudon County, so you can see both communities in a day. From Tennessee National, Knoxville is about 30 minutes away, I-75 about 10 and McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) about 35.

What should you compare on the water?

Compare where the boat lives and where it can go.

Start with storage. There are three common ways to keep a boat at a lake community: a marina slip, dry storage or a private dock at your own shoreline. Ask each community which of those it offers and whether there is a wait.

At Tennessee National, the marina is full service, has 140+ boat slips and sits inside the gates. Ask about current availability on the boat slip page. What a specific waterfront homesite allows at the shoreline is a question for us and for TVA.

Then compare range. Watts Bar Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River with more than 39,000 acres of water and 722 miles of shoreline. It is a 72-mile navigable reservoir, with locks to the rest of the river system. Tellico Lake is a separate TVA lake. Go out on both and see how each one feels on a busy Saturday. Watts Bar Lake vs Tellico Lake compares the water.

What should you compare about the golf?

Compare the course you would play and the membership you would hold. Both matter, and only one of them shows up in photos.

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 WindRiver, ask WindRiver. Put these questions to both:

• Which membership types exist, and is one required to own a home?
• What does each type include?
• What are the guest rules?
• How full is the tee sheet on a weekend morning?

If you can, play both. A scorecard tells you the yardage. A round tells you whether you would want to play it every week.

What should you compare about building a home?

Compare the rules that apply after you buy, because they shape your timeline.

• Is there a deadline to start or finish building?
• What does design review cover, and how long does it take?
• Can I use any builder, or is there an approved list?
• What is available today: homesites, new homes or existing homes?

At Tennessee National, there is no deadline to build after you buy a homesite. Homes are custom built and go through design review. The five ways to own are The Timbers wooded homesites, lake homesites, waterfront homesites, Land & Home packages and townhomes. For anything else, ask us about the specific homesite.

Ask WindRiver the same questions and get the answers in writing. A deadline and no deadline lead to very different plans.

How do you compare the cost?

Sort every cost into three piles, for both communities.

1. The purchase. The homesite or the home.
2. The association. Fees every owner pays, and what they cover.
3. The club. Golf, social or marina costs, and which ones are optional.

Then compare pile to pile. A low number in one pile can hide a high number in another. Pricing for Tennessee National is in the info pack. For WindRiver, ask WindRiver.

One thing is equal. Both are in Tennessee, which has no state income tax.

How do you compare everyday life?

Spend an ordinary day at each one, not an open house. A normal Tuesday tells you more than any brochure.

Have lunch at each one if you can. At Tennessee National, that is Kendall's. Ask for last month's calendar. Ours reflects 22 social clubs and 180+ events a year: trivia, live music, wine tastings, holiday parties, and clubs for wine, books, cycling, tennis and cards. Watch how people get around. Here it is by golf cart.

Then notice where you felt at home. That is not on anyone's website.

The honest trade-off

Tennessee National has one golf course, one marina and a design review process. Those are facts, and for some buyers one of them is a deal breaker. Better to know now.

WindRiver has its own strengths and its own trade-offs, and they are the right people to explain them.

Same trip, same questions, both communities. Confirm current details directly with WindRiver. We can only speak for Tennessee National. If other communities nearby are on your list, see Tennessee National vs Tellico Village and Tennessee National vs Rarity Bay.

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.