Help me with place to visit to live in later... (Asheville: house, school)

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Here is what I am looking for:
1. Not a big city. I wouldn't mind a little rural-having from 1/2-a couple of acres.
2. Living close enough to a city as my husband is a mailman, but a city one (not a rural carrier), so he would have to drive into the city every day
3. They need teachers (that's me)
4. Good school system for my kids
5. Near the mountains-on it or with a view of it
6. Ready for the kicker: I don't want to be house poor. I REALLY want/need to stay under 200K for the house. I actually would love to be in the low-mid houndred thousands. I don't mind an older home-actually prefer it; they have more charm.

[mm34b]

The only city of size in the Mountain Region of North Carolina is Asheville. Population around 70K.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/NCMap-doton-Asheville.PNG (broken link)

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by mrshvo

Here is what I am looking for:
1. Not a big city. I wouldn't mind a little rural-having from 1/2-a couple of acres.
2. Living close enough to a city as my husband is a mailman, but a city one (not a rural carrier), so he would have to drive into the city every day
3. They need teachers (that's me)
4. Good school system for my kids
5. Near the mountains-on it or with a view of it
6. Ready for the kicker: I don't want to be house poor. I REALLY want/need to stay under 200K for the house. I actually would love to be in the low-mid houndred thousands. I don't mind an older home-actually prefer it; they have more charm.

Check out Hickory and Morganton.

[mountain_time_Blues]

Lenoir seems to be a good city to fit that criteria.In Caldwell county. pop. 17,000.