Asheville/Hendersonville way of life comparison (Greenville, Brevard: real estate, rental, HOA)

[ltgrady]

My family and I have been traveling the US in our RV for the last few years. We're looking for a new permanent home and after a few months in NC we've decided that WNC is that place.

My oldest son is going to public HS in the fall and we're trying to decide between the Asheville and Hendersonville areas, two very different places. I was hoping to type a few of our pros/cons and what we're looking for and maybe some locals could offer some advice or point out and mis-perceptions we have or things we may not have thought of.


About Us
We have 3 kids and we love both the outdoors and city fun. We are looking to rent for a year or two to make sure we're in the right place and then we'll buy a home. But we would like to avoid switching schools and want to make the long term decision now if we can. I've worked at home for over a decade and don't need a job, my wife is a great stay at home mom, wife, and teacher.

Why NC: In our travels we've always loved the beauty, the people, and the way of life. We think it will be a great place to raise our kids. It's close enough to our families (NJ/PA) to visit and be visited several times a year. A variety of VERY good schools in the UNC/NC State systems that are a bargain at in-state tuition rates.

Education
I think we lean to Hendersonville here. We would try to live inside the Hendersonville High boundaries: #4 school in the state (US News & World) and only 700 students, 15:1 ratio. Even if we couldn't be in the HHS district the other schools are pretty good: North (#24, 15:1, 999 students), East (#26, 15:1, 1013 students). These schools all seem to have above average test scores and AP opportunities. If we lived in Asheville we would probably try to send the kids to AC Reynolds (#12, 18:1, 1400 students). To be honest I don't really know much beyond the rankings and numbers. I don't know the culture of the schools or the social make up which is more concerning to us than the academics. My kids will do well academically wherever we are as long as the opportunities are there, but we're a very conservative/Christian family and have a lot of concern about things it's hard to learn about schools online.

Real Estate
Hendersonville definitely seems cheaper but Asheville seems to have more rental availability. Looking long term and considering a home purchase Hendersonville looks to get us more for our money. However, aesthetically, Asheville is more beautiful, a city nestled in the mountains.

Quality of LIfe
Hendersonville seems more easy going, probably a calmer and more stable pace of life. But is it too calm, could it be boring? Asheville is exciting and fun but at the same time there is a lot of negative influence and temptation for my kids entering into their teen years. I love the idea of living a bike ride from downtown but I think that the smaller town life may be a benefit to the kids. Then Asheville is only 30m away. But then I worry that 30+ minutes is far enough to go less than I would like and we'll be visitors to the city, not part of the community. I do really like the Hendersonville downtown area but some of the outlying areas seem a bit bland/suburban. We did really enjoy our drive through Laurel park the other day.

Outdoors
I suppose we're surrounded in either place. We originally looked West of Asheville to be closer to the NP, but I've spent some time in Transylvania county and Chimney Rock and I suppose there is plenty for us to do in either place. We day hike weekly, camp monthly in the summer, and we're interested in getting some kayaks or SUP boards. My kids also have an interest in hunting, which we've never done before but are going to pursue once we settle in. I don't know if either place offers any advantage.

Weather seems pretty close to the same, I know the elevations are similar.
We've already found a church we like in Hendersonville and will most likely attend there regardless of which place we live, traveling on Sundays/Wednesdays/etc..
We've though about living in the middle (Fletcher/Arden). We have some concerns about schools and also being too far from either place to walk out the door and go somewhere interesting without getting in the car.


Thanks ahead of time to anyone who takes the time to read and offers any advice!

[ltgrady]

Maybe my post was too long. Usually I read shorter posts and everyone asks for more details so I figured I would lay it out.

[Imhere now]

Based on your comparison of needs/wants, it appears that you have answered your own personal question: Hendersonville.

[QuilterChick]

^^^ Ditto to the above. You will find that Hendersonville is very family oriented, sports oriented for the children, so much to do and see; easy access to the interstates, Asheville is just up the road you have Arden and Fletcher in between, the AVL airport is close by, and the airport in Greenville SC is less than an hr. down the mountain. You may find Hendersonville is more of a laid back calming area, and slightly cooler most days than Asheville. Check the local news stations for weather stats. www.wlos.com has a weather almanac link.

When looking for a home here, just a hint. If you want to keep your RV, and keep it on your land, make sure you check the HOA rules and regs in most subdivisions as many will not allow them. We made that mistake when we moved here, but DH insisted on having it on our land. So we passed up a lot of beautiful homes at the time. I still miss that RV.

[TravlerAtHeart]

We lived full time in our RV for 7 years before we moved to "sticks and bricks" We are currently renting in Flat Rock and really like Laurel Park. I would recommend staying more towards Hendersonville than Asheville. Hendersonville is a great little town, and it is not too far to Asheville. I find myself going more to Greenville than Asheville for shoping. Asheville is good, and not too far away. We regularly go to the farmers market on Saturday morning, after we stop at the Hendersonville one. We liked this area for the National forest area and hiking. We feel too far away from the trails, so we will be looking in the Brevard area. We do not have children so not really worried about schools.

Myself and my husband are conservative and I don't think I would be happy living in the city of Asheville. It is great to visit, but visiting and living among a community culture are two different things.

Hopes this helps! Good Luck