are there any NC/TN small lake communities left? (Raleigh: real estate, HOA fees)

[Mab7]

Are there any small lake, not those giagantic ones, I mean smaller quaint lake communities left that don't cost 500K to buy a home or 200K to buy a peice of lake front land left???? I am have been trying to research where in NC or TN we can find a nice quiet community with some lakes or lakes that are not huge like Tellico Lake etc.. that is not to far from a city where you can find work... do they still exsist?? Lake Lure is too expensive and too far out of the way, Lake Norman is too large and way to expensive to buy lots. any suggestions???

[hapaleeretired]

Lake Hickory which is a wide spot on the Catawba River. Hickory is recovering from an economic slump. I don't know about the employment picture in Morganton or Marion but Lake James is beautiful but perhaps too expensive.

[ncsu99]

I don't know if your just looking in the western half of NC, but within commuting distance of Raleigh there is Lake Royale www.lrpoa.com on the Franklin/Nash county line, Bunn Lake on the Wake/Franklin county line, and the Tar River Reservoir about 5 miles west of Rocky Mount.

[Mab7]

I will have to check those out, thank you so much. I know there are lots of lakes out there that communities are built on now which are just too expensive. I have been looking in the western NC area and have had TONS of packages from private communities mailed to me, and the prices are just out of control. I dont need all the glitz and could care less of there are gates or not. I am looking for a non motorized smaller lake, in a beautiful, quaint friendly town... traveling 1/2 to work is fine. Can't we buy a 1/2 acrea level/gently slopping lakefront lot in a friendly town in a beautiful place for 100K anymore anywhere? wahhhhh Everything is now communities with gates and fees etc.. although the taxes are less, your spending more for the extras... As long as I can walk my doggie around some beautiful streets, have great neighbors, sit on my deck and have a cup of coffee on my deck looking out at the lake or mountains and drive to get some work and food, life is good...righ???

[mm34b]

North Carolina Lakes

http://www.north-carolina-tourism.com/nc-lakes.htm

[Mab7]

great link, thank you!!

[NCBND]

My wife and I scoured WNC for affordable lakefront or even lake view land for a couple of years before concluding there isn't any. If you keep looking or have connections perhaps you'll luck into something. I ended buying land by a lake but not on it.

[Mab7]

did you buy in one of the WNC private communities?? which one? curious. It seems there is land available, but it's scary to buy land and be responsible for digging your own well and septic.. even land out there is not inexpensive.. I saw a few lots I liked about 160K!! was so hoping to luck out for less....

[NCBND]

I ended up with several different lots near Lake James, one of them in a subdivision and several others that are quite literally raw land outside of any subdivision. I thought that I'd try it both ways and see how things turn out. I'll keep one lot to build on and - if things go well with real estate values thataway - sell the others to raise funds for the house that I'd like to build. There's less restrictions and HOA fees for land outside subdivisions but you have to be a lot more careful about what's around you and the availability of utilities. However, you can't sleepwalk into a subdivision either, particularly one that isn't fully built out. You still run the risk of developer non-performance on infrastructure - roads, community amenities, etc. Even raw land without notable views, etc. in McDowell County is running around $10K/acre unless you look really hard. Good luck!

[Duke101]

Originally Posted by NCBND

I ended up with several different lots near Lake James, one of them in a subdivision and several others that are quite literally raw land outside of any subdivision. I thought that I'd try it both ways and see how things turn out. I'll keep one lot to build on and - if things go well with real estate values thataway - sell the others to raise funds for the house that I'd like to build. There's less restrictions and HOA fees for land outside subdivisions but you have to be a lot more careful about what's around you and the availability of utilities. However, you can't sleepwalk into a subdivision either, particularly one that isn't fully built out. You still run the risk of developer non-performance on infrastructure - roads, community amenities, etc. Even raw land without notable views, etc. in McDowell County is running around $10K/acre unless you look really hard. Good luck!

NCBND,
What city/town does Lake James reside in? I believe we saw it when looking around the Asheville area, but if I remember correctly there were no homes on Lake James just around it as you suggested.
~Duke101