Little Switzerland (Charlotte, Asheville, Greenville: real estate market, vacation home, to buy)

[PWRIGHT]

Does anyone have info/comments about the Little Switzerland area.It is in southern Mitchell county at 3500 ft. on the Blue Ridge Parkway.It is a beautiful area,remote but not isolated.Seems to be a nice place to build a vacation home /eventual retirement home. Its not to far from Charlotte either.Does anyone know the land prices,weather, or negatives about the area.Thanks

[happeemommee]

A good way to check out real estate prices would be to find the local newspaper, most are online and see what's there. You can also google Little Switzerland MLS and may be able to find a link for searching the local real estate market. If that doesn't work, go to the chamber of commerce website and go through the real estate co and look at the properties that way.

[mm34b]

Little Switzerland is a unincorporated community on the border of McDowell and Mitchell counties. Technically, it's in McDowell county.

This is the historical climate summary for the Little Switzerland area:

GILLESPIE GAP, NORTH CAROLINA - Climate Summary

[my 2 cents]

Originally Posted by PWRIGHT

Does anyone have info/comments about the Little Switzerland area.It is in southern Mitchell county at 3500 ft. on the Blue Ridge Parkway.It is a beautiful area,remote but not isolated.Seems to be a nice place to build a vacation home /eventual retirement home. Its not to far from Charlotte either.Does anyone know the land prices,weather, or negatives about the area.Thanks

I live in Mitchell County and LS is a nice little hideaway. Going down Crowders Mountain (SR 226) is an adventure when it is raining or in particular snowy, so your Charlotte commute is easier in Spring and Summer. Also that is the easiest way to Asheville although you can go 19E thru Burnsville which does have a lot of traffic (2 lane road) in early morning and after school...they are however planning to 4 lane 19E from 26 to Burnsville.

LS is very close to Spruce Pine but no where in Mitchell are there any great eataries or shopping. Very good hospital in Spruce Pine. Normal snowfall is 30 inches or so but the last ten years have averaged something like 14.

Depends what you like. there are other areas of Mitchell that are quite nice and more remote yet close to decent size cities. Buladean, Bakersville are more "remote" yet both are less than 50 miles from Asheville and Johnson City, Tn. If you travel via Air be prepared to go to Charlotte or Greenville. Asheville and JC (Tri Cities) are very expensive. Charlotte is no bargin either.

Land prices are very good in Mitchell in general but much better value in Buladean and Bakersville....SP and LS are overpriced. LS is right next to the Blue ridge Parkway so there is limited land and most of it is steep (topography, not price)...very steep. SP is not as "upscale" as some of the other areas of Mitchell.

Schools are average to above. Jobs are non existent. Recreational activities are abundant. Fishing, hiking, berry picking, etc and outdoor activites are everywhere in Mitchell County. Roan Mountain (Carvers Gap) is closer to Bakersville/Buledean but Mt. Mitchell is closer to Mt. Celo and LS. Penland School is closer to Bakersville, and the arts are more prevelant there also. Leaf season produces a lot of traffic around LS, as does the Villages at LS...I personally do not like the traffic on these crowded 1 lane roads.

Do not know your budget but check out The Orchard in Bakersville, Mt. Celo, and Beech Creek in Buladean. For value I think you can do better than LS. Building costs are higher there due to having to a lot of site work generally in LS...better to buy something already there IMHO...for building check out the places I mentioned...try Bakersville.com and Douglas Construction in Bakersville.

[Southlander]

Also Mountainaire, near Burnsville. But I do love Little Switzerland...there's a 1920s vibe about the place. "Course, my kinfolks were servants to the people who had summer places there.

[PWRIGHT]

My 2 cents
Thanks for the info.This is the kind of info I am looking for.I am a snow lover.I drove back up to LS and talked to a realtor.He told me exactly the same thing about the snowfall and the land values you said