Hendersonville vs. Brevard (Charlotte, Asheville, Greenville: for sale, how much, new home)
Western North CarolinaThe Mountain Region including Asheville
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Follow-up to an earier inquiry (thanks for some useful tips about weather, roads, etc.). In February we'll be making what we hope is a final house-hunting trip to the area to find a second home/eventual retirement home. We've visited the area and done research on stores, etc. I know where the closest Home Depots and Lowes are. I'm wondering how much of a difference thee is between Hendersonville and Brevard in way of sense of isolation and ease of access to shopping, hospitals, entertainment, etc. Spending most of the time at home and in natural surroundings sounds great, but sometimes we'd have to see a doctor, and buy things, etc.
For the occasional big shopping trips (e.g, to a big mall, Macy's, Costco, etc.), Greenville, SC seems closest. We shopped there last visit, taking the large highways from Hendersonville to get there. If we bought in Brevard, or even Connestee Falls, is Hwy. 276 (?) to Greenville usually open throughout the winter?
Right now my wife prefers Brevard, for its proximity to hiking, waterfalls, etc. and the general feel of the town. We were in the area last February and had very mild weather. Maybe this time we'll get a different view. The other area we'll look at is on the other coast, around Auburn, Caifornia (east of Sacramento). Have to be there anyway since my wife is attending a short conference in Sacramento.
Follow-up to an earier inquiry (thanks for some useful tips about weather, roads, etc.). In February we'll be making what we hope is a final house-hunting trip to the area to find a second home/eventual retirement home. We've visited the area and done research on stores, etc. I know where the closest Home Depots and Lowes are. I'm wondering how much of a difference thee is between Hendersonville and Brevard in way of sense of isolation and ease of access to shopping, hospitals, entertainment, etc. Spending most of the time at home and in natural surroundings sounds great, but sometimes we'd have to see a doctor, and buy things, etc.
For the occasional big shopping trips (e.g, to a big mall, Macy's, Costco, etc.), Greenville, SC seems closest. We shopped there last visit, taking the large highways from Hendersonville to get there. If we bought in Brevard, or even Connestee Falls, is Hwy. 276 (?) to Greenville usually open throughout the winter?
Right now my wife prefers Brevard, for its proximity to hiking, waterfalls, etc. and the general feel of the town. We were in the area last February and had very mild weather. Maybe this time we'll get a different view. The other area we'll look at is on the other coast, around Auburn, Caifornia (east of Sacramento). Have to be there anyway since my wife is attending a short conference in Sacramento.
Thanks!
Both towns are really nice places and each have a lot to offer, so it really just depends on what appeals to you.
It's really going to come down to what kind of lifestyle you want, and only you guys can know that
Hendersonville has twice as many people as Brevard (about 12,000) and access to a lot of retail.
Brevard is charming, quaint and you'll travel further for your retail needs, but the surrounding landscape makes up for that in my book! Hwy 276 is not a problem in the winter, so don't let that concern you.
Do you have kids that are school age? If so, perhaps you could base you decision on the schools. Check out the great schools website for more info
I've never had a problem getting to Greenville on 276 in the winter. DH plays golf in DC once a week during winter. Hendersonville and Brevard are pretty different . Where would you be in Brevard?
Thanks for the input. No kids. I'm 61 and retired from the Foreign Service and wife (Brazilian, but with permanent resident status in the U.S.), 52, still spends time in Brazil due to work (doctor) and family. I'd likely be in the new home more than her.
DC for golf? I assume that's not Washington, DC.
We haven't settled on a place yet. Wife's favorite so far is probably Brevard, including the Connestee Falls development, a few miles outside of town (likes the Brevard area the natural beauty of the area and conservatvion-related activities), with a couple of communities in Hendersonville probably second (Asheville a bit pricey but we haven't ruled it out yet). Going back for an in-depth visit in February and will look at other areas nearby (already in touch with realtor). Hoping to make a final purchase decision. We were in the area last February and again in August. Had splendid weather both times. No snow in Feb. (though did get thunderstorms; in August none in that area, but did get hit by a biggie just as we landed at Charlotte Airport on our way out).
I liked Hendersonville's easier access to Asheville (including the humane society, where I'd like to volunteer whenever in the area), airports and shopping,but the traffic in Hendersonville itself seemed pretty bad. Of course, that's anecdotal evidence, based on short visits to date.
Thanks for the input. No kids. I'm 61 and retired from the Foreign Service and wife (Brazilian, but with permanent resident status in the U.S.), 52, still spends time in Brazil due to work (doctor) and family. I'd likely be in the new home more than her.
DC for golf? I assume that's not Washington, DC.
We haven't settled on a place yet. Wife's favorite so far is probably Brevard, including the Connestee Falls development, a few miles outside of town (likes the Brevard area the natural beauty of the area and conservatvion-related activities), with a couple of communities in Hendersonville probably second (Asheville a bit pricey but we haven't ruled it out yet). Going back for an in-depth visit in February and will look at other areas nearby (already in touch with realtor). Hoping to make a final purchase decision. We were in the area last February and again in August. Had splendid weather both times. No snow in Feb. (though did get thunderstorms; in August none in that area, but did get hit by a biggie just as we landed at Charlotte Airport on our way out).
I liked Hendersonville's easier access to Asheville (including the humane society, where I'd like to volunteer whenever in the area), airports and shopping,but the traffic in Hendersonville itself seemed pretty bad. Of course, that's anecdotal evidence, based on short visits to date.
Excuse the DC, I meant SC. I just got my iPad and am having trouble with the fill in feature. I think Hendersonville is convenient from Connestee if you go through duPont. If you are interested in the Humane Society Brevard needs you. The Transylvania facility is shameful. There has been money, 750,000, I believe, for several years. Now they say that's not enough to build. There is a private group now raising money. That was probably more info than you wanted.
It is a long haul from Connestee to Asheville. Most of the houses in Connestee have been on the market a long time.
Excuse the DC, I meant SC. I just got my iPad and am having trouble with the fill in feature. I think Hendersonville is convenient from Connestee if you go through duPont. If you are interested in the Humane Society Brevard needs you. The Transylvania facility is shameful. There has been money, 750,000, I believe, for several years. Now they say that's not enough to build. There is a private group now raising money. That was probably more info than you wanted.
It is a long haul from Connestee to Asheville. Most of the houses in Connestee have been on the market a long time.
Thanks everyone for the input. The distance from Connestee to other places is a concern to me, as well, though my wife seems to think it would be idyllic, based on a very brief visit (plus she's so tired of looking at properties she just want to be done with it and make a decision). I may make a final exploratory trip in early December, spending at least a couple of days in and around Brevard, ahead of the trip with my wife in February. International travel required, but it would be cost-effective, given the total cost of a home and the amount of time we'd eventually spend there (and the amount of time we'd spend paying for it).
My personal preference would be Brevard. Brevard is more in the mountains and has access to hiking. I think it would be cooler in the summer as well. Brevard is also close enough to Hendersonville that you could enjoy many of the amenities there.
Here is a thought... You could look for property between Brevard and Hendersonville. I think near Du Pont State Forest would be a great place to live because you could walk to hiking trails.
I think if you look on the website www.hotpads.com you can find housing for sale using a map, which might help your search.
Thank you everyone. We plan on being in the area for 2 1/2-3 weeks in the second half of February to get to know the area even better. Realtor also suggested considering a development up near Mars Hill, but overall it sounds a bit small and isolated for us. Not sure how conservative any of the places are, but there seems to be a real mix (and in the city in Brazil my wife is from someone considered liberal in the U.S. would be considered moderate or maybe conservative; she's from a military family and would probably be "moderate" in most places in the States).
I did not realize that about the elevation differnece. My perception was that Hendersonville was in sort of a plateau area while Brevard was at the foot of some bigger mountains. They are really similar in most ways, though, and are close together.
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 11-19-2011 at 08:09 PM..
Reason: orphan - the post you replied to was deleted
I love both Hendersonville and Brevard. I live in Saluda in Henderson county. Brevard is closer to hiking as someone above has mentioned. Both have about an equal elevation. Ranging from 2200 to 2700 depending on where you are. Both have very nice downtown. Hendo has more amenities but having said that Brevard still isn't very far from Hendersonville or Arden/Fletcher if you really wanted to have a night out on the big town.
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