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People seem to move to Asheville with NO plan and NO insight that they are AGING. Can you still navigate that ridiculous deep descent into your driveway when you're 75? Are you SURE you want your master bedroom on the second floor? It's insane. On a DAILY basis I meet people who are literally trapped in their homes as they age.
But what a place to be trapped!!!!!!!!
Actually, I am 77 and aging more every year! I live over 5100 feet in WNC. I walk daily, weather permitting, from my home to the top of Lift 5,6 and 7 just over 5500 feet at Beech Mt. 5 miles round trip and love every minute of it. Whenever I am forced to stop, I can still sit, covered in a blanket on my porch, drooling on my shirt while watching the Tn and Va mountains in all their blue-gray majestic glory.
On Eagles Nest Mtn 'above' the town of Waynesville
I walk every morning, early, as soon as I get up/walk out of our Mtn home door: 1 1/2 miles on most days, 2+ miles on 'go at it' mornings, with considerable elevation change from 4,800 to 5,200 ft on most mornings.
We have a multi-level house we had built in 2001. Our MBR is on the upper floor. We have four sets of 8 step stairs, well lit, and 22 yrs ago we weren't concerned about stairs. We still climb them several times a day, as something is always 'a floor or two away'.
I am nearly 76, my boss isn't far behind; neither of us feel 'trapped'. When we can't do it anymore, we can sell it/move lower down the Mtn/live in our SW FL house if I had to, whatever we have to do.
Our driveway is narrow, curved, etc. We manage to back in and get into our three car garage. Most house guests/company manages our driveway also, esp those that live in our area; they are Mtn driving accustomed.
Not pitching 'mountain/slopes/higher elevation living'. Actually, Waynesville and other surrounding towns, 'ex-burbs' of Asheville area, have gained considerable population in our past 22 yrs of living here, so no one else needs to come here.
Everyone will have their own comfort zone, but it is not necessary to denigrate other choices 'here, or not here', in western NC, imo. Some like the 'Burbs, some prefer more acres/woods/mtns/views and a less dense pop living situ. Hope everyone finds their place...
GL, mD
Sunrise view from our Mtn home deck...not yet struggling or just hanging on, here.
MD takes better pictures, but you get the idea from my cellphone pic. This is from two or three years ago, sitting in the den facing Va. I had to climb a 6 inch step to get there from the garage into the house. Hopefully it will be quite some time before I have to start dragging myself up that step, may even build a short ramp when that time comes.
We’re at 2650 feet near Hendersonville and have a very good mountain view out our back windows. No way would we trade this view for the foothills..Most of our house is on one level; only one bedroom/bath upstairs. Driveway is mostly flat. Most of the people in our development are retired and are enjoying life. Houses sell quickly. Trapped? No way.
Sorry for the late reply - I need to check my settings because I don't get emails anymore.
Anyways, I agree with the comment it's everywhere not just Asheville. We have been planning to move there for about a year to be closer to family. Family is not in Asheville but close enough for a quick flight. Of course we're setting the bar high with Asheville with amazing culture, food, and schools among many other things. And yes, we're coming from California but strangely the prices in AVL are 30% more not less. It's hilarious almost.
My rent isn't about Asheville in particular, it's the extremely wealthy people are buying to flip or AirBnB and basically if you're a normal family with a normal salary you have to live out in the country because even a small town like AVL is now unaffordable for middle class. Rich keep getting richer and families lose out on the closeness of culture and good schools. I could certainly live outside the AVL school district for a lot less but the school quality plummets. No thanks. I value teachers and public education done right.
Just a point of clarification for those outside NC reading this.
In NC, 99% of the school systems are administered across counties, not cities. Asheville is one where the city and county have seperate systems.
I hate to break it to you, but Asheville city schools are not necessarily superior to county schools. I worked as a substitute teacher in both school systems for over three years and at all grade levels, and preferred the county schools, with one exception (and certainly not at the middle and high school level). I would make sure you speak with real live parents in your desired school before basing your decision to move somewhere on a particular school system.
We had a pretty large budget and gave up finding something in Asheville City Schools--it's not just flippers. The houses are just way more expensive in the city. We ended up finding something really nice in the Cane Creek area and I'm happy enough with the schools. Anything zoned to TC Robeson/AC Reynolds seemed okay enough.
On Eagles Nest Mtn 'above' the town of Waynesville
I walk every morning, early, as soon as I get up/walk out of our Mtn home door: 1 1/2 miles on most days, 2+ miles on 'go at it' mornings, with considerable elevation change from 4,800 to 5,200 ft on most mornings.
We have a multi-level house we had built in 2001. Our MBR is on the upper floor. We have four sets of 8 step stairs, well lit, and 22 yrs ago we weren't concerned about stairs. We still climb them several times a day, as something is always 'a floor or two away'.
I am nearly 76, my boss isn't far behind; neither of us feel 'trapped'. When we can't do it anymore, we can sell it/move lower down the Mtn/live in our SW FL house if I had to, whatever we have to do.
Our driveway is narrow, curved, etc. We manage to back in and get into our three car garage. Most house guests/company manages our driveway also, esp those that live in our area; they are Mtn driving accustomed.
Not pitching 'mountain/slopes/higher elevation living'. Actually, Waynesville and other surrounding towns, 'ex-burbs' of Asheville area, have gained considerable population in our past 22 yrs of living here, so no one else needs to come here.
Everyone will have their own comfort zone, but it is not necessary to denigrate other choices 'here, or not here', in western NC, imo. Some like the 'Burbs, some prefer more acres/woods/mtns/views and a less dense pop living situ. Hope everyone finds their place...
GL, mD
Sunrise view from our Mtn home deck...not yet struggling or just hanging on, here.
Wow that sunrise view is pretty awesome, as are some of your other photos. What an incredible location and view you have for your home. As a full-timer in Nokomis, I'm a bit envious of the mountain getaway. Alas, my partner shivers below 70 degrees. Looks like you've got a great setup, glad you are able to get out and enjoy it!
Did you land somewhere? Hoping that you found...something! If even a rental until (hopefully) the market cools.
The wait may never come. The market here is made up of many retirees (many who also own homes in FL), who can afford to pay cash. We bought our house near Hendersonville three years ago, and it is now worth 50% more than what we paid. A house on our street recently sold in four days for full asking with two back ups. I expect prices here to drop very little, if at all, because of economic conditions. This is a different market.
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