Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

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Old Guy
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Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Old Guy »

We live in a resort area In the SC low country. Summers are very hot, humid, and buggy. We spent last week in Lake Lure NC. It was hot but not humid or buggy. Evening thunderstorms cooled things off. We drove around to Brevard, Hendersonville, Asheville, and Rutherfordton. We liked Brevard but really liked Hendersonville/Flat Rock. Does anyone summer in the area and want to offer up their opinion on spending summers there and renting vs. buying?
jastevenson
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by jastevenson »

No personal experience, but I did notice on weather.com that it is mid-90s all next week in Lake Lure. So if you're really wanting somewhere cool and comfortable in the summertime, maybe better to look at higher latitudes than NC? Looks gorgeous out there though.
Valuethinker
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Valuethinker »

Old Guy wrote:We live in a resort area In the SC low country. Summers are very hot, humid, and buggy. We spent last week in Lake Lure NC. It was hot but not humid or buggy. Evening thunderstorms cooled things off. We drove around to Brevard, Hendersonville, Asheville, and Rutherfordton. We liked Brevard but really liked Hendersonville/Flat Rock. Does anyone summer in the area and want to offer up their opinion on spending summers there and renting vs. buying?
I don't know this part of USA at all well-- have not been there in many years.

But I have read comments here that it's also worth considering Tennessee? That may simply be about taxes and also Asheville is quite expensive I believe?

Just as a general rule, rent for at least 1 year first. There's so many things about a new area that may not be obvious to you from the outside, that will have a huge bearing on how much you enjoy a place-- you will discover these things when you move to a new area. If you can, rent for a summer, but even if you have to sign a 1 year lease. Just don't drop into a new area and buy. Seen that go wrong for too many people.

Whether it is the people, the weather, the amenities -- there may be some store or recreational activity you find that you just cannot do without.
3504PIR
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by 3504PIR »

Our retirement home/horse farm is in the Asheville area and we'll move there full time in a couple of years. The weather year round was a factor in our decision along with cost of living, infrastructure like hospitals, shopping etc and the beauty of the area.

We have found that where we are that we have four seasons, but the summer and winter are pretty tame compared to other places we've lived with four seasons. In the summer the temp is generally in the 80s during the day and low 70s at night with very low humidity and in the winter it never really gets very cold and only snows occasionally. For us it is a nice balance and a great climate. The real factor contributing to weather in this area is elevation. Hendersonville can be warmer than Asheville and if you get a place to live on the side of the mountain vs in a valley that will have an effect as well. Our good friends live up in a traditional mountain home on the side of a mountain and the winters are much colder for them than for us - we are down in a valley. They get a lot more snow as well.
Wakefield1
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Wakefield1 »

People who will be in the NC mountain area and adjacent areas such as out to the South Carolina Coast might want to check the forecast maps of the upcoming Total Eclipse of the Sun -is it Aug. 21?
tj218
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by tj218 »

Wow that area looks great. Never realized western NC was that nice (climate wise). The Asheville area seems expensive though.
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Kenkat
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Kenkat »

There is also the Waynesville, NC area which is smaller than Asheville and a little less trendy / expensive. Not to put down the Asheville area which is awesome - as soon as you said Lake Lure I was ready to pack up the car for a trip! Alas, work on Monday awaits.
Gill
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Gill »

You might look further west around Murphy, NC and nearby North Georgia. We enjoyed a cabin near Blue Ridge, Georgia for many years.
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plannerman
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by plannerman »

I have a house for sale in Flat Rock in a nice gated golf community if you are interested:)

Asheville, Flat Rock, Hendersonville and Brevard are all nice towns, but are not the summer destinations for most people trying to escape the oppressive heat of the low country. You should be looking a little further west in Lake Toxaway, Sapphire, Cashiers. Glenville, and Highlands. They are further up in the mountains and the higher the elevation the cooler and dryer the air.

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spectec
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by spectec »

I grew up in Rutherfordton and have fond memories of trips to Lake Lure. But the Lake Lure area is still closer to the foothills than the mountains, so you do need to get to higher elevations for cooler summer weather. Asheville/Waynesville/Hendersonville/Brevard area is much higher & cooler, but more costly. Other places to consider would be the Blowing Rock/Boone area, and also the Highlands/Cashiers/Franklin area (probably most accessible from SC). Each has its pros and cons.
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samsoes
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by samsoes »

You may want to check-out http://www.bestplaces.net. That site has many data points, including climate, cost of living, demographics, etc.; you can also compare cities side-by-side. A previous poster mentioned Murphy, NC. http://www.Bestplaces.net shows Murphy to be a dream on most data points, except...crime rate! On a scale of 1 (no crime) to 100 (worst crime), national average property crime is 38.1 is Murphy's is 81. National average violent crime is 31.1, Murphy's is 82.1. :oops:

http://www.bestplaces.net/crime/city/no ... ina/murphy
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3CT_Paddler
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by 3CT_Paddler »

We have relatives in Waynesville. It's a little slice of heaven. Lots of great hiking nearby, and the town is big enough that you don't feel like you are in the boondocks. Asheville is 45 minutes away, and Atlanta is 3 hours away. That area stretching into Tennessee is a great place to retire IMO.
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Wricha
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Wricha »

Bought a beautiful mountain home north of Asheville (27 miles) in Madison County. House is at 4000 ft elevation. Never have used air conditioner and the humidity is not bad. North of Asheville tend to have the longer mountain views and higher mountains 5k+. The same quint mountains towns (good Resturants art studios and music) as in the Hendersonville area a bit more rural. The big advantage is housing prices and taxes outside of Bumcombe county are at least 30% less. There are gated mountain communities at every price point worth a look. Enjoying the summer here great climate with plenty of things to do.
rgs92
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by rgs92 »

What kind of bugs? (You used the term "buggy")? Do they get indoors? Thanks.
jbranx
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by jbranx »

Grew up in the Blue Ridge. You'll have to get to the higher elevations at least towards 3000 ft. if you want the cooler temps. Temp. lapse rate is 2.5 degrees per thousand feet, so it's fairly easy to calculate how much cooler a spot would be above the coast. In NC something closer along the Blue Ridge Parkway would be good. Mt. Pisgah area has no equals in terms of scenic delights. Grandfather Mountain is another possibility. Mt. Mitchell (6,684) is the highest and Burnsville in Yancey County is a nice little town. The TN Great Smokies towns like Sevierville and Gatlinburg are mobbed by tourists like Asheville.

Some spots off the beaten (well beaten is the better term given all the touristy towns in the mnts. anymore) are West Jefferson NC area. Might also look in the Georgia mtns.
Woodshark
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Woodshark »

We own a place on lake Keowee near Clemson SC. Beautiful area with lots of great hiking close by. It has a large retirement population here as the price of lake property and the cost of living is very reasonable compared to larger metro areas.
matonplayer
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by matonplayer »

We live full time on a golf community in Hendersonville. You couldn't pay me to live anywhere else. Mild climate, friendly people, and all the arts and music you could want 30 minutes up the road in Asheville. We love it here.
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Blues
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Blues »

No summer home...when I decided to retire from federal law enforcement I bought a home in the western NC mountains several months before actually pulling the plug and leaving the job. Any of the areas you mentioned would be great. We live a few miles from Brevard out in the county at an elevation of 2500'. Cooler than the lower lying areas and town.

That said, it's been pretty hot and rainy of late but it would be hard to find a better, more scenic, more convenient place to live (in my opinion, of course).

Good luck with your search.
carolinaman
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by carolinaman »

We seriously considered NC mountains for retirement 6 years ago. We live in NC and were already familiar with areas. We really liked the Hendersonville area best but it is pretty expensive, more so than Asheville. There are a lot of retirees in both Hendersonville and Asheville, so there is really good health care. Waynesville and Franklin are farther west and more affordable. The tradeoff between higher elevations like Waynesville and lower elevations like Hendersonville is cooler summers but colder winters. Many people from northern states may not find much difference between winter in higher elevations than back home.

No one has mentioned Boone and Blowing Rock which are farther north and very nice as well.
TravelforFun
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by TravelforFun »

Not answering the OP's question but raising a discussion topic. I thought about getting a summer home but decided against it. The cost of obtaining and managing a summer home wasn't my main reason, it was the fact that we didn't want to be tied down to a location when we want to take a vacation. Vacation rental homes are so abundant, we never've had a problem finding a place to take our kids and grandkids to ... anywhere ... anytime.
SGM
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by SGM »

Years ago we stayed with friends on a mountaintop family compound in the NC mountains. It was beautiful and cooler than the surrounding lowlands. The patriarch could have picked anyplace to build a summer retreat for his extended family and chose this area.
patrick474
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by patrick474 »

samsoes wrote:You may want to check-out http://www.bestplaces.net. That site has many data points, including climate, cost of living, demographics, etc.; you can also compare cities side-by-side. A previous poster mentioned Murphy, NC. http://www.Bestplaces.net shows Murphy to be a dream on most data points, except...crime rate! On a scale of 1 (no crime) to 100 (worst crime), national average property crime is 38.1 is Murphy's is 81. National average violent crime is 31.1, Murphy's is 82.1. :oops:

http://www.bestplaces.net/crime/city/no ... ina/murphy
I wouldn't rely on a site like that. You see the same types of sites for schools. The "scores" used on these sites are often based on arbitrary criteria and not necessarily verified or updated. Visit the communities in which you're interested or get a first-hand referral.
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Blueskies123
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Blueskies123 »

Yes, we have one in Maggie Valley. You have to be realistic about how much you will use the home. So many home are empty for most of the year and all that money could be spent on traveling to other places. I suggest you rent for several months maybe several times and see if you get bored with the same place.
Do you like going to the same place over and over again. Some people do. Do you like getting involved with the locals? How far away is the rest of your family, do you have a bunch of extended family that will visit you or are you trying to get away from them?
If you are really going to use the place for 5 or 6 months a year then NC is about the best place.
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LRDave
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by LRDave »

Getting up to the Highlands/Cashiers area is real-difference maker, climate-wise. There is a lot of old, southern money in the area for just that reason.

I haven't vacationed in the area much, but I liked the vibe the times I have been there.
O2sats
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by O2sats »

Woodshark wrote:We own a place on lake Keowee near Clemson SC. Beautiful area with lots of great hiking close by. It has a large retirement population here as the price of lake property and the cost of living is very reasonable compared to larger metro areas.
Another vote for Lake Keowee. Heading there to my dads place this week. Been going there for about 15 years. Beautiful lake area, lots of beautiful mountains around.
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Old Guy
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Re: Anyone have a second home in The NC mountains?

Post by Old Guy »

Thanks for all the helpful answers. Renting might be an option.

To the person who asked about bugs: here in Hilton Head, its mosquitos and the darn noseeums. The latter seem to head right for my ears whenever I take the dog out.
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