Come say hello and help me out! (Asheville, Black Mountain: real estate, rentals)

[SharaMcG]

Hello all.

Mr. McG and I are planning a move to Asheville this summer. We're in Maine now, we're newly retired and we want to put these winters far behind us! We'd like to visit in April. We'll spend about a week on this first trip, scoping out neighborhoods and looking at houses to rent.

We have four children between us so we want at least a 3-bedroom, 2-bath place. My daughter will be living with us and attending college. The other kids (all boys, two older teens, one middle schooler) will visit from time to time. Btw, daughter plans to study art therapy so A-ville seems an excellent choice for her.

My native Asheville friend thinks we'd be happiest in areas north and west of downtown. My girl wants to go to UNC, so walking/biking distance to there would make her very happy. Mr. McG and I are both homebodies who love the arts and music. I wouldn't say we're old hippies (though we're the right age), but we're tolerant people and diversity is a plus to us. Areas with a lot of crime are not a plus!

So which towns/neighborhoods would you recommend? What areas should we avoid?

And should we contact a real estate agent to arrange trips to rentals for us when we visit in spring '10? Can you recommend any agencies? Are there other good resources (like Craigslist and such) for finding rentals?

Thanks in advance for your help. And your friendliness, which I hear is legendary--at least according to this board.

[Mr Yuck]

The Bayshore Company

This a good management company. Very nice and honest people. I've rented from them for a few months now and have nothing bad to say.

[SharaMcG]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuck

The Bayshore Company

This a good management company. Very nice and honest people. I've rented from them for a few months now and have nothing bad to say.

Thank you! I have a few realty companies I've been looking at, but I didn't know about this one. Will def check it out.

[organick]

the montford area or a neighborhood off merrimon ave would give her easy access to unca. Both areas have pricey neighborhoods but you can also find affordable rentals.

[Cofga]

Woodfin has more affordable housing and is in easy commuting distance to UNCA. There also is a lot of housing in the neighborhoods around UNCA that you could look at. I think that rentals in Montford, Grove Park, and Beaver Lake neighborhoods would be pretty pricey. I have some friends that love their W. Asheville neighborhoods but that probably would not be within a bike/hike of UNCA for your daughter since it involves a busy bridge crossing although there may be bus service. Good luck

[EvanstonGirl]

I can't give you advice on the area, as I'm living in Chicago, but I can recommend a wonderful agent with the Beverly-Hanks agency. She just helped us buy property on Lake Adger, which is about 35 miles out of town, but most of her work is in Asheville. I don't know if I'm supposed to name her on this forum but feel free to contact me privately if you'd like her name and number. Good Luck! I too am looking forward to getting away from the snow and bitter cold - someday.

[SharaMcG]

Originally Posted by organick

the montford area or a neighborhood off merrimon ave would give her easy access to unca. Both areas have pricey neighborhoods but you can also find affordable rentals.

I've seen a few places in Montford online, and also seen some other favorable comments in threads here. It's on the list.

Originally Posted by Cofga

Woodfin has more affordable housing and is in easy commuting distance to UNCA. There also is a lot of housing in the neighborhoods around UNCA that you could look at. I think that rentals in Montford, Grove Park, and Beaver Lake neighborhoods would be pretty pricey. I have some friends that love their W. Asheville neighborhoods but that probably would not be within a bike/hike of UNCA for your daughter since it involves a busy bridge crossing although there may be bus service. Good luck

My friend also mentioned Haw Creek? Haw's Creek? I need to find a map that shows all the neigborhoods. Is there anyplace I could order one? Maybe Mast? I know my daughter would love to be in easy distance of the uni. And I'm assuming that her having a car for getting to school is not necessarily a plus because she'd have to find places to park. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe parking is easy there. If so, then I can look at other places--Black Mountain, for one, sounds wonderful to me.

Originally Posted by EvanstonGirl

I can't give you advice on the area, as I'm living in Chicago, but I can recommend a wonderful agent with the Beverly-Hanks agency. She just helped us buy property on Lake Adger, which is about 35 miles out of town, but most of her work is in Asheville. I don't know if I'm supposed to name her on this forum but feel free to contact me privately if you'd like her name and number. Good Luck! I too am looking forward to getting away from the snow and bitter cold - someday.

I'll send you a note.

The thought that this will be the last winter where we'll have to spend hours hacking ice off cars or moving snow around makes me happy enough to dance. Lol, if you're in Chicago you know what I mean!

~Thanks again all. Such nice folks you are.

[Cofga]

Haw Creek is on the east side of Asheville and is a nice community as is Beverly Hills which is on the south side of Tunnel Rd. Both would be a long bike ride but the bus system may cross town that way so look up the bus routes and see if they will work too. Download Google Earth and you'll get a birds eye view of everywhere--Larry