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Any input about these towns.
Most intersted in crime & whether they have
small town charm. I am a single that is approaching
retirement age. Job oppurtunities for my work would not be a problem.
Would I be able to find a 2000 sqft (ish) home in the low 200"s?
Reasons I think they may be good choices. (what I am looking for )
1)small town within 45 minutes of larger city
(near Boone or Ashevlle)
2)Foothills with milder winter than higher elevation.
3)real estate prices not elevated like Blowing Rock ect
4)safe..not high poverty town.
5)West of Asheville would be to far west.
6) lots of outdoor hiking areas & activities
7) near a lake would be great
Kelly, honestly, your description is pinpointing the foothills of NC/SC border, closer to Greenville SC where you will also find many homes in your price range and many activities for retired singles. There are no "foothills" around Asheville per se. Asheville > north: more snow and ice Asheville < south: less snow and ice.
West of Asheville is gorgeous ... e.g. Waynesville, only 25 mi. west of Asheville, small town charm, etc. But I doubt you would find a house around $200K with 2,000 sq. ft. there.
The weather here is all about elevation. Under 2,000 ft. above sea level sounds like where you want to be.
Could you go under 2000 sq ft for a home? There are actually quite a few homes for sale in WNC between 150 and 200k. Many are in the 13-1800 sq ft range. Some old and need some work but also some very nice even updated homes. It is a buyers market every where. Even in WNC.
Could you go under 2000 sq ft for a home? There are actually quite a few homes for sale in WNC between 150 and 200k. Many are in the 13-1800 sq ft range. Some old and need some work but also some very nice even updated homes. It is a buyers market every where. Even in WNC.
As long as real estate isn't elevated like around Blowing Rock I am not too worried about the housing. I like simple and small and up to 300 K is doable .
As long as real estate isn't elevated like around Blowing Rock I am not too worried about the housing. I like simple and small and up to 300 K is doable .
Oh, Ok. I thought you had said around 2,000 sq ft. Then you should be able to find a nice place easily for up to 300k. Simple and small now you are talking my talk. lol!
These are not really "towns" in the strictest sense of the word. Both are small communities in the Yadkin Valley of Wilkes county, not far from where I live. If you follow 268 west towards Lenoir I would be about 25 minutes west of Boomer.
The Kerr Scott Dam and reservoir is right there on 268 with easy access. Basically the area meets all of your requirements! Wilkes County does have a higher crime rate than the surrounding counties though for reasons that are a mystery to me! You would also be less likely to go to Boone on a regular basis for shopping as it is "up the mountain," and out of the way. You are far more likely to use the shopping areas of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro. Your closest "big city" would be Winston-Salem, about an hour away.
As far as "not high poverty," you're not going to find any small towns in this region that do not have high poverty. I think you're talking about generational poverty, and if so, Wilkes County will probably suit you. However, due to the economic downturn situational poverty is at an all time high, mostly due to the lack of jobs and the high cost of medical care.
That section of Wilkes is a beautiful, laid back area that is very popular with hikers and bikers (fairly flat for the most part) and has great fishing and boating opportunities. It's a nice place to live and it's a buyers market!
Oh, and there's a United Methodist biker church there in Moravian Falls called Crossfire. Pastor Alan Rice is a good friend of mine. They are very active in the community! We love our biker dudes! (and dudettes!)
But Lenoir (Caldwell) or the other surrounding counties don't have nearly the crime rate that Wilkes does. In my opinion, the collapse of the furniture industry isn't the reason for the high crime rate in Wilkes or crime would be high in the other communities as well. it has to be something else, or a combination of something else. I'm thinking that culture may play a part. After all, Wilkes is the county where NASCAR got it's start! LOL
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Moravian Falls?
