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OP, you need to look out west. All of the southeast is humid, including the mountains. The mountains only feel better due to the cooler temps of higher elevations. I live in Florida, but used to have a vacation home in Asheville. Asheville overall felt less humid due to cooler temps, but the rest of the Carolinas were like murder to me, far worse than where I live in Florida near the coast). And I think Asheville will probably be out of your budget, I have friends moving there now and they tell me properties have gotten very expensive.
Take a look at the western states, I think they will suit you much better.
You are probably correct, Asheville maybe out of their budget but I think there are enough surrounding areas that can definitely be in their budget. In Asheville, there are few homes in that price range but they are older and need a total remodel. I just want to point this out.
A word about the humidity in NC: We lived in the Raleigh area for many years and understand well the humidity situation in the state. Many folks think that when they move to the "mountains" they will escape the heat and humidity. Well, there are "the mountains", and then there is the High Country. The micro-climate here in the High Country is quite different from that of "the mountains". Most of the land in the High Country lies at an elevation of 3,000 feet and up, and there are many mountain ridges east of here running to the north and south and those ridges help keep the humid air coming up from the south away from us.
We have all four seasons and snow in the winter, but the snow is usually short-lived. Summer time is perfect, with comfortable humidity levels and only an occasional heat wave. We're at 3,400 feet and spend much of our time in the summer on the unscreened front porch - unscreened because there are virtually no pesty insects (saw a mosquito once last year). 20 miles to the east of us, and 2,000 feet lower, Wilkesboro, NC, is typically 12-15 degrees warmer than us during the summer and the humidity is substantially higher
We live in Ashe County, about 25 miles from Boone. Here you can find houses for less than $200K. Routine healthcare is good, with everything but heart surgery and neuro surgery available locally or in Boone. Those specialty surgeries are 90 minutes away at top-notch hospitals. Crime here is very low compared to urban areas of the state. Once you get away from Boone (a university town), the area is very conservative. The down side for you might be that there isn't a lot to do unless you have hobbies. Fishing is very good, with many stocked streams. There are a lot of retirees in the area - many Floridians summer here and eventually move here permanently. There are a lot of rental cabins and houses, so it would be easy to try out the area for a short period to see what you think.
Good hunting, and please give the High Country a look-see.
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