A Knoxville Podcast with Hutch & Howard

About A Knoxville Podcast with Hutch & Howard

A Knoxville Podcast is your insider's guide to life in East Tennessee, hosted by Rob Howard (@KnoxvilleRob)—a 20+ year Knoxville real estate broker, author, and local storyteller. Since 2007, Rob has been documenting what makes Knoxville special: (deleting more shows than leaving up!) from real estate market insights and neighborhood deep-dives to conversations with local legends like Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, hidden hiking trails in the Smokies, and the best patios for taking your friends and pets to lunch! Whether you're relocating to Knoxville, investing in East Tennessee real estate, or simply curious about life in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, this podcast covers: - Knoxville Real Estate Market Updates & Investment Strategies - Neighborhood Guides (West Knoxville, Powell, Farragut, Bearden, Sequoyah Hills) - Local Culture: Music, Theater, Arts (Dogwood Arts Festival, WDVX, Clarence Brown Theatre) - East Tennessee Lifestyle: Hiking, University of Tennessee sports, seasonal events - Interviews with Local Leaders, Artists, Entrepreneurs & Community Figures - Relocation Advice: What to Know Before Moving to Knoxville Rob also hosts "Hutch & Howard" at Keller Williams Realty and is the author of the Frank Merchant mystery series ("Principles of Real Estate and Murder") and "Seller Secrets"—a guide for home sellers. New episodes explore everything from house-hacking strategies and "as-is" home sales to the best fall foliage routes and equestrian events in the Cherokee National Forest. If you're thinking about making Knoxville home—or you already call it home and want to know it better—this is your podcast. Connect with Rob: 📧 robhowardkw@gmail.com 📱 865.385.9070 🏡 KnoxvilleRob.com 📚 RealEstateMurderMystery.com -  "Principles of Real Estate and Murder" Dec. 2023 - Amazon Best Seller 🏞️ HowardsPond.com Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Let's explore Knoxville together.

Publisher

KnoxvilleRob - Rob Howard

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Apr 2019

Latest episode

18 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Episode 4: Ryan Sheley: Founder of Principal of Cottonwood Concepts

   Ryan Sheley has the singular perspective of someone who grew up in Knoxville, travelled widely and chose to come back home. A West High School grad who spent time at the University of Tennessee, Ryan spent nearly a decade touring almost 300 days a year as frontman of the band Homemade Wine, including a stop at Bonnaroo and a long residency in Key West, before coming home to help rebuild downtown Knoxville.In this conversation with host Rob Howard, Ryan traces the path from that stage life into helping develop and grow Maple Hall, the bowling alley and entertainment anchor that turned a roofless, derelict J.C. Penney building on Gay Street into one of downtown's most-loved spaces, and the relaunch of Babalu next door. Now the founder of Cottonwood Concepts, Ryan talks about what it actually takes to build something that lasts, whether that's a marriage, a business culture, or some of the city's hundred-year-old buildings that others would have demolished.Along the way: how his father brought Wendy's to East Tennessee in the early '70s, buying and turning around an auto repair shop that went on to win a Carfax Top Shop award, the "one thing doctrine" for hiring and retaining the right employees, the Charley Crockett lyric that gave Cottonwood Concepts its name, and how his team is bringing new energy to Tellico Plains and the Cherohala Skyway corridor with Red Chimney Pizza. Expect detours into Hemingway, Simon Sinek, and hanging out in a Key West bar with a NASCAR legend.

2. 

   12 Sept 2026

   Episode 3: Episode 3: Lisa Dockery and Casey Irwin - Candidates for East Tennessee Realtors Board of Directors

   Two Knoxville real estate professionals sit down to talk about service, roots, and what it actually takes to build a career that lasts in East Tennessee.Casey Irwin and Lisa Dockery join host Rob Howard (@KnoxvilleRob) for their first-ever podcast appearance as candidates for the East Tennessee Realtors Board of Directors. What starts as a candidate conversation turns into something better: two honest Knoxville stories about how a career gets built.Casey is a multi-generational East Tennessean whose family came from Loyston Point, land now under Norris Lake. He grew up in Norris, studied psychology and public health, and never planned on real estate. An executive assistant role with a commercial developer changed that. From putting out signs and lock boxes for Lucas Ho and Sharon Lang, he went on to open Keller Williams franchises, serve as a team leader in Washington DC, lead an office through COVID, and co-found Keller Williams Young Professionals, which grew into one of the largest chapters in the nation.Lisa is a Knoxville native, a Karns High School graduate, and an interior designer by training. She has moved 18 times in 33 years, which means she has lived the buyer and seller experience from nearly every angle. She is also 20 years strong with Fantasy of Trees, the holiday event that has raised more than a million dollars in each of the past two years for East Tennessee Children's Hospital.What we talk about:Growing up in Norris, Karns, and Polk County, and why deep local roots still matter in real estateHow a psychology degree and an interior design background both turn into daily tools in this businessWhy volunteering and showing up generates real business (including a referral Rob traced back to a Keller Williams RED Day project)The reality of an industry where agents quietly disappear, and why a phone call can change thatWhat the Realtor Party did to get real estate declared essential in Tennessee during the shutdownKnoxville's growth, the traffic complaints, and the Nashville commute that cures themStandard Nuclear in Oak Ridge, small modular reactors, data centers, and where East Tennessee is headedWhy the Market Pulse report is required reading for investors and developersRob also shares the principle behind 23 years in the business: be out amongst 'em. Not cold calls. Not expireds. Showing up, staying in touch, and caring about people long enough that they call you when life changes.Realtor members: voting for the East Tennessee Realtors Board of Directors runs September 16 through 18. Watch your inbox for the association email. If you unsubscribed, call the association and ask to be added back, and subscribe to the Market Pulse while you are at it.About the host: Rob Howard is a Knoxville real estate broker with Keller Williams, host of A Knoxville Podcast, and author of Seller Secrets and the Frank Merchant mystery series. He has been helping people find their place in East Tennessee for more than 23 years, with about 90 percent of his business coming from past clients and referrals.Thinking about buying, selling, or investing in Knoxville? Start at KnoxvilleRob.com or call 865.385.9070.More episodes at RealKnoxville.com#KnoxvillePodcast #KnoxvilleRealEstate #EastTennessee #EastTennesseeRealtors #KnoxvilleTN #RealKnoxville #KnoxvilleRob #FantasyOfTrees #KellerWilliams

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Episode 2: Addie Granath: UT Grad Student

   Some folks know a town. Addie Granath is one of them. South Knoxville born, UT raised, known for her cruising in her tan Sequoia with the windows down.We sat down at the Downtown Grill & Brewery and wandered all over the East Tennessee map and into North Carolina! Addie just wrapped her bachelor's in agricultural resources, economics and starts her master's this fall, which means she thinks about land the way most of us think about traffic. Farmland is finite. Once you build on it, it's gone. That's the work she's headed into, and she'd rather do it here than in Nashville, thank you very much.We covered a lot of ground:Gay Street then & now, Loretta chasing down strangers on the back side of it, and a brother Lenox doing push-ups on the concrete while the Masons walked by. Gentrification from North Hills to Park Ridge to Fountain City, and the Linden Avenue house I sold for $12,000 that's worth over $500k. Dysfunction Junction, the World's Fair, and what happens when twenty to thirty people a day move into Knox County but the lanes stay the same.Campus growth and new mega high rises over the caverns, the Thompson-Boling collapse rumors, and whether the university can actually seat everybody it admits. Market Square when it was tumbleweeds and TVA quitting time, the Mercury Theatre where Preservation Pub sits now, Tomato Head, Cafe 4, Chesapeake's, Pete's, Cappuccino's, Barley's, Sunspot, Cumberland Grill, Kazzy's, Stir, Stefano's, and why you owe yourself a night at A Dopo. Xül and the food trucks, Yee-Haw and Ole Smoky and the Jackson Hole ski run that gave Yee-Haw its name.East Knox, Magnolia Ave., Pizza Palace and the Bel Airs, the Kern's bakery smell in '99, Fourth & Gill, Mechanicsville, Emerald Youth, and the question Addie put straight to Randy Boyd about bridging South Knoxville. James White Parkway and the Baker Creek Preserve. The closed Gay Street Bridge, Henley Street, Chapman Highway, the kudzu hill, Checkers, Disc Exchange, Shoney's, Aretha Frankenstein's, and getting stuck in a Krystals highchair at ten years old.Old City ghosts, Long Branch, the Half Barrel turned Leaderboard, Sassy Ann's rattling the windows next door, Maple Hall, Studio 16, the Mill and Mine, Pilot Light, the Southern Railway station, the Civic Coliseum where Kiss played, Alumni Gym where I saw the Spin Doctors, and Hodges Library back when the World's Fair exhibit was still up. Billy Graham and Richard Nixon in Neyland, the Jacksons, Garth Brooks and Morgan Wallen.Oak Ridge and John Hendrix, the prophet who saw the whole thing coming. Bearden Hill and Thunder Road. Hardin Valley Mcmansions, Seymour, Strawberry Plains, Farragut, Lovell Road Costco, Royal Oaks and Shaq flying into McGhee Tyson, Harrison Ford in Morristown. Fort Sanders and Ball Hall sitting on the bloodiest ground of the battle. Reese, Humes, Carrick, Hess, Melrose, Shelbourne, Church Row, Gus's, Tyson Park, McClung.Then out of town: Kodak and the old Smokies stadium, Covenant Health Park, Ober Gatlinburg where she learned to ski, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Tanger, Clingmans Dome, Townsend, the Dragon, the Sinks, the Ocoee, Polk County, Cleveland, Murphy and Bear Paw where a 99 year old great grndma cuts raw tobacco and keeps a revolver over the door for poachers. Grainger County tomatoes. Beans and rice, every night, and never got tired of them.Battered Vol Syndrome. Burning couches after Bama. Ghost hunting in Old Gray Cemetery, which I do not recommend.We're bringing her back for the Halloween episode.

4. 

   23 Jan 2026

   Episode 1: Chad Chappelow: Is Knoxville Real Estate Still Affordable?

   Join Rob Howard in the KnoxvilleRob.com studio with Chad Chappelow as they discuss the massive shift in Knoxville's housing market, the truth about "transactional" agents, and how South Knoxville transformed from $30k homes to a microbrewery hotspot. Watch the full episode now at https://knoxvillerob.com/podcast/Real Estate is More Than Just a TransactionIf you think real estate agents are just chasing the next commission check, you haven't met the team at Hutch & Howard. In this latest episode of A Knoxville Podcast, Rob Howard sits down with team member Chad Chappelow to peel back the curtain on what it really looks like to help families find their way home in East Tennessee.From Chad’s transition from restaurant management to real estate to the philosophy that guides their practice, this conversation is a must-watch for anyone looking to buy or sell in the Scruffy City.In This Episode, We Cover:The "One Conversation at a Time" Philosophy Chad shares his favorite approach to the business: "Finding the dream home, one conversation at a time.". Learn why your first conversation with an agent might look completely different than the home you actually buy, and why patience wins over pressure every time.The Shocking Truth About Knoxville Home Prices Remember when you could buy a house in South Knoxville for $32,000? Rob Howard does—because he lived in one. Rob and Chad break down the incredible appreciation of the Knoxville market, comparing the "late 1900s" prices to today's market where starter homes are harder to find.The South Knoxville Transformation Rob recounts a nostalgic visit to his old neighborhood off Sevier Avenue. What used to be a quiet street across from a laundromat is now the bustling home of Alliance Brewing, illustrating exactly how rapid development raises property values and changes communities.Work-Life Balance in a 24/7 Industry How do successful agents juggle family life with client needs? Chad opens up about being a dad to his daughters (and soon-to-be soccer player) while maintaining a high-level real estate career. Spoiler: It’s about boundaries and mutual respect.Why This Matters for Knoxville Buyers & SellersAs Rob mentions, the internet might tell you to be scared of the economy, but it also lists Knoxville as a #1 destination for relocation. Whether you are looking for a luxury estate or a starter home, you need an agent who is focused on the relationship, not just the transaction.

5. 

   6 Dec 2025

   Episode 6: An East Tennessean's Bigfoot Mystery: Biblical Giants, Supernatural in the Smokies with Justin 'Doc' Brown

   Host Rob Howard interviews Justin "Doc" Brown, author and podcaster, about the connection between biblical stories, specifically Esau, and the legends of Bigfoot and ancient giants, offering a unique perspective on faith and folklore.

6. 

   16 Jul 2025

   Episode 5: Ashley Manning - County Mounties Obstacle Series - July 25-27, 2025

   Ashley Manning discusses the County Mounties Obstacle Series and Horse Show with host Rob Howard, highlighting the equestrian spirit and community impact of this East Tennessee tradition in this interview.

7. 

   30 Jun 2025

   Episode 4: Glenn Jacobs: Knox County Mayor on WWE Career and East Tennessee - A Knoxville Podcast

   Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs discusses his transition from WWE superstar Kane to governing East Tennessee, including population growth and nuclear energy, in an interview with Hutch and Howard.

8. 

   3 Jun 2025

   Episode 3: Jessica Borden - Kellebrity, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Beyone!

   Jessica Borden shares her journey from Keller Williams admin to technology expert, team leader, and coach, offering insights into building a successful real estate career in this interview.

9. 

   4 Mar 2025

   Episode 1: Devin Pressley - New Experiences in Real Estate

   Devin Pressley has had a very interesting journey into his career in real estate agency. We talk about it.

10. 

    22 Sept 2023

    Episode 10: Episode 10: FALL into Knoxville Life!

    It's Leap Peeping Time in Tennessee! We talk about when folks decide to sell their home "As-Is" and what that can really mean. We go through our seasonal tune-up on the Heating and Air Systems at home, then go outside and wander around the Tennessee Valley A&I Fair! We get Cultural with visits to several playhouses around town, as well as telling tales of our visits to some of our other favorite spots within a couple hours drive of Knoxville.

11. 

    16 Jun 2023

    Episode 9: Celebrations in the midst of challenges! Knoxville Real Estate grows up.

    We talk about all the interesting changes in the Knoxville and East Tennessee real estate markets. We celebrate a wonderful triumph for Kathy and talk about the first time the Federal Reserve chooses not to raise interest rates after 10 straight raises in their past meetings.

12. 

    2 Jun 2023

    Episode 8: Patio Party! Sitting Outside in the Knoxville Springtime

    Special Guest Carrie Mays joins us to talk about our favorite spots to sit outside during the spring in Knoxville!

13. 

    19 May 2023

    Episode 7: ELMONT! Way Down Yonder In The Paw Paw Patch.

    In this episode of A Knoxville Podcast with Hutch & Howard - we hear stories from Kathy's vacation encounter with some people from Kentucky and one lady with an ear for her special East Tennessee dialect! We visit the Knoxville Convention and Visitor Bureau for the WDVX Blue Plate Special and special recent performances by Robinella, The Vibraslaps and Tin Roof Echo. Rob goes to see HAIR! at the Clarence Brown Theater on campus at the University of Tennessee and they both remember visits to Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains - camping, synchronized fireflies and a wedding at the Appalachian Clubhouse! Jakeypoo gets deep in that Yachting Life and Alex gets ENGAGED! Oh, and Rob turns 50 while Kathy tells us what's Way Down Yonder by the Paw Paw Patch!

14. 

    18 Apr 2023

    Episode 6: Talkin' Country - our ancestor's funny sayings that we love! Knoxville Zoo, Fair and other things we love

    Talkin' Country - Southernisms that we have loved throughout history! Memories of The Tennessee Valley Fair, Fair Food and Concerts , Endorsing all of our favorite Knoxville Pizza joints and the crazy nicknames that follow folks from school to the grave! Thanks to Adeem the Artist for the Hutch & Howard theme song closing music!

15. 

    6 Apr 2023

    Episode 5: A Knoxville Spring! Dogwood Arts, Client stories, Parades, Vols Baseball and Debbie Boone karaoke

    This week Rob and Kathy bring tales of their wanderings around Knoxville, stories about some of their great client experiences, stalking the city's flowering tree population and so much more!

16. 

    2 Apr 2023

    Episode 4: Knoxville Nights - Wandering from Central Collective to Cotton Eyed Joe

    Talking about fun Spring in Knoxville can be from Kathy's report from the Cat Show to the Christina Black's latest 29th birthday party at Cotton Eyed Joe! This has been a great week to live in Knoxville and here's what we loved about it!

17. 

    21 Mar 2023

    Episode 3: Cattin' Around Knoxville! Cat Shows, Smooth Sailor, Theatre Tours, Pet Instagrams, Jacob Building

    Rob Howard and Kathy Lee Wuethrich talk about the craziness that the Hutch & Howard crew have done and plan to do in the next few days. Cat Afghans, Cherokee Bldg, planning to go see Smooth Sailor perform at the Knoxville Convention Center in Downtown Knoxville. Hutch & Howard is part of Keller Williams Realty in Knoxville TN. 11400 Parkside Dr. #120 Knoxville TN 37934. Call the office at 865-966-5005. We're realtors! Call Rob at 865-385-9070 or call Kathy at 865-237-1223. The last two links are to our Instagrams! Here's Rob's dog Dickens' Instagram too!

18. 

    22 Dec 2022

    Episode 1: Be an Influencer in Knoxville! House Hacking and getting the Influencer lifestyle without having to perform on the Internet.

    As the economy has shifted over the past few months – I’ve had a lot of people expecting to get “more house” for less again. Unlike most of the country – where real estate values have given back most of what was gained during the pandemic – Knoxville and most of East Tennessee have continued to either maintain or increase a bit as memories of lockdowns are fresh, the cost of living and tax rates in “marquee areas” continue to skyrocket and the threat of economic crash looms with each meeting of the Federal Reserve. The rate of relocations to the area has decreased but it still persists. Sure, we’ve had reductions in some of the higher price points – but buyers I’ve worked with are still finding it a real challenge to actually find housing in our “bread and butter” price point – between $300,000-$425,000. It’s really not that there’s a lack of homes in that range – it’s that the homes that are selling there now were on the market two years ago for 30% less and the mortgage interest rate was half what it is now. While all this is true – this dismal industry snapshot is a cloud with a silver lining! In the past few years with the growth of the Minimalist movement coming from the west and the growth in interest for Millennial generation buyers – people are getting smarter and more ambitious! Only recently the concerns about the price point has shifted to more and more interest in “House Hacking” as popularized by the Bigger Pockets podcast and other outlets that teach their listeners how to monetize their lifestyles. You’ve probably noticed the booming “Influencer” culture where people are paid in the high six-figures or even much more for attractive young people to film videos of themselves applying make-up or even less attractive dad-types fixing your dishwasher on YouTube. I’ve noticed that the House Hacking trend has spawned a new attitude from the more savvy, young homebuyer. Many of them want the most house they can purchase (finding work-arounds for the limits of credit, down-payments by finding what help might be available from other sources) with the caveat that the place they purchase HAS to be hackable. What does this have to do with being an Influencer? The common way to monetize one’s Influencing potential has been in the Macro-Influencer efforts to get as many eyes on your productions as possible. The new buyers are looking for a more realistic, yet still very lucrative Micro-Influencer plans involving getting someone else to pay for their “Super Nice house.”“I don’t care what it costs,” one extremely smart young buyer told me this week. “I just have to figure out how to live there for free.” I was a little taken aback from the comment – then he explained. The Micro-Influencer home has to have hackable spaces: A garage (ideally with a loft) that can be converted to an apartment, an outbuilding or space that can be turned into living space, an old tool shed that can be turned over in the same way or even an attic with a floor and exterior access. There are many other ways that someone can add living space without changing the current footprint of your home. In the past few months – Knoxville and other local municipalities have changed the laws to allow one ADU (Additional Dwelling Unit) inside the current home footprint. If you do this right, choose the correct home or find an area where the rules are even more flexible this can allow for 2 or more ADUs and while you still get to enjoy the better living spaces – while having friends, folks you know or others that are looking for a space to live – paying rent to you – as Knoxville area rents are outstripping the costs of homeownership by large amounts. If you are hankering to get the income from the internet – a great way is to feature your space on Airbnb, VRBO or other short-term rental sites where (for a small portion of your nightly rental rate) you can double or triple the return on your lifestyle home choice!

19. 

    22 Apr 2019

    Origin Stories: Appalachian Trail to the Dogwood Trail

    Tales from your hosts. Josh Purvis: The journey from the Appalachian Trail to VP of Foundation Mortgage. Rob Howard: Meeting Henry Mancini and becoming @KnoxvilleRob Brandon Hutchison: South Knoxville drummer makes good!

Who has been a guest on A Knoxville Podcast with Hutch & Howard

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Justin 'Doc' Brown
• Ashley Manning
• Glenn Jacobs

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 10 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

7

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32