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I'm looking to relocate to Western NC in the next couple of months and have been researching every county and town intensively. There's very little, outside of the bugs, that I don't like! I'm at the point where I've done as much research online as a person can do apart from getting advice/warnings directly from the folks who live there. I've researched these forums too, of course, but there's not much (current) info on some of the places I'm mostly interested in. Even so, I'm open to all suggestions, advice, and warnings.
Me: Single, mid-fifties guy with no family at all, retiring early and adopting a rescue dog (and a pair of bonded cats would be great) once I settle in. I'm a major homebody who did 99% of the traveling that I care to do. I'm currently in Minneapolis, MN and hate it with a passion. I'm very conservative/traditional in my values and need to be around others with the same mindset again. I hate cities. Cities are for emergencies and Costcos. Weather-wise, I'm good with all four seasons. I live very simply. Always have. I've never owned a microwave and still cook everything from scratch. I enjoy owning only what I use on a weekly basis. I got rid of my TV permanently in the 90's and don't miss it. I don't have any social media and love getting together with friends. (I miss that. All of my friends have moved out of MN and now it's my turn.)
What I'm looking for: Rural. Peace and quiet above all else. No motorcycles, sirens, traffic, jet skis, motorboats, lake parties, etc., I want to see actual stars again, not just the same six satellites and nothing else. I miss trees the most. When I hear gunshots, I want to know they're from hunters, not thugs.
I need to be in natural surroundings again. Not reclusive, but I'm not opposed to driving 30-40 minutes to go grocery shopping. I want to live on land (minimum 2+ acres) that's wooded with a stream or creek. (A pond at most, but ponds breed mosquitoes.) I want enough room for a dog to run around, but NOT so much grass it takes hours to mow. I'd really like to buy as much food (fruit, veg, meat, milk, butter, jams, home canned goods, etc.,) as possible from small farmers, homesteaders, or mom-n-pop businesses - diners, grocery stores, hardware stores, bookstores, etc., I'm NOT a big box/chain store guy, except for Costco. I'm okay with a 2-3 hour drive to a Costco. If it's farther, I'll just make it an overnight adventure.
Places that interest me so far along with info from another website that gives all kinds of statistics (which are very possibly outdated):
Glenville - 3,612 ft elevation. Property crime can supposedly be an issue at times? Average of 82” rain. 12” snow. That does sound like a MASSIVE amount of rain, but I really like everything else about the area, including the location. (I favor the south and western areas.). I found two properties on Zillow that are real contenders. I like the proximity to Cashiers, Highlands, etc., for some shopping, but those areas seem too touristy to live in. I don't mind tourism at all, but I don't want to live in a tourist destination.
Sapphire had some nice properties but I couldn't find much information on Sapphire at all. Virtually nothing.
Hayesville - I love this area for how rural it is. I know it's not a common area (around Murphy) that most folks actually choose because of how rural and isolated it is... at least according to posts I've read on this forum. But, I don't mind that. I'd even like Brasstown if it wasn't so artsy-minded.
And I'm not overly concerned about proximity to health care, as most retirees understandably are. For me, it's all about the land (woods and streams) and the quiet. I know this area gets hot and humid because the elevation is lower (1,962 ft). (My least favorite weather, but that's what A/C is for.). Property crime was listed as higher than average in this area though. ??? When it comes to crime, I take in the information but I'm not ruled by it. 60” rain. 4” snow. I'd prefer more snow because a Must Have house feature for me is a wood burning fireplace to enjoy. I love getting snowed in but I realize that's not going to happen in North Carolina, especially this far south. (I did see a property I liked in Banner Elk, which averages 42" of snow. But, that's too much. My shoveling days are OVER!)
Little Switzerland and Spruce Pines. Mostly because it's rural. I found a couple of properties there that I like, even if it's farther east than I care to be. (And a little too close to Asheville for my liking.) It's a smaller, older community, which is fine by me. Higher elevation (nice for summer) with an average of 53” rain. 13” snow. I'm concerned about the motorcycle traffic on the Blue Ridge Parkway though. The houses I found were within a mile of it.
These are the areas where I found properties I like and, from what I've been able to learn online, I like these areas. I'm pretty much limited by what's on the property market, even though there are other towns I like, such as Green Mountain, Burnsville, and Bryson City. (As long as it can't be considered a suburb of Asheville, or Ashville-adjacent, I'm open!)
So, I'm open to questions for clarification and/or advice, warnings and suggestions. I do know what I'm getting into with rural, small town life. I was raised in one. I've never had a problem with eventually fitting in. I'm patient and understand being wary of out-of-staters. I'm very community/neighbor minded. If someone needs help, I'll be there regardless, even if they don't like me. That's how I was raised and I still live that way, even here in the big city. My biggest concern with fitting in is that I H.A.T.E. sports. I can't even pretend to like them. Sports and "artsy" are NOT for me.
Forgive my long post. I figured the more info folks had on what I'm looking for, the easier it would be to give suggestions until I can get there in person and see all of these places for myself. Thanks in advance!
Yes, there are many wonderful small towns in western NC, and frankly I think almost all of them would work for you. In that regard, my suggestion is to focus initially on the type of property you want...lot size, house size, within your budget, etc. You can load those criteria in real estate search engines and look at the results on map view. Chances are, many of the results will be near a small town. There are so many...West Jefferson, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Waynesville, Brevard are some of my favs. Depending on your budget, I'd think you could find something within 30 minutes of any of those.
Some other things to think about are elevation/temperature/humidity/snow. In general, the higher the elevation the cooler summers, the colder the winters, and more snow and ice. I assume you're fine with driving on snowy/icy roads, lol.
OP, given your criteria and personality I think you would do well in a town like Bakersville or Spruce Pine. Both are generally far enough off of the BRP where traffic won't be a huge concern. Spruce Pine is the commercial center for Mitchell County yet has just over 2000 residents, ten miles south of Bakersville. Snowfall will be more moderate with closer to half of what is seen in Banner Elk. I know the towns well and think the lack of pretentiousness would suit you, although there is a significant population of crafters/artisans they tend to be the salt of the earth/live and let live types.
I'm looking to relocate to (anywhere) Western NC in the next couple of months and...
So, I'm open to questions for clarification and/or advice, warnings and suggestions.
Stop looking for a property to BUY. Postpone those decisions until after.
In short, I suspect you could make do and be fine enough just about anywhere.
So... Limit your current search to a suitable rental in the area.
Move in. Dig in. Then start looking around for which wide spot in which road ...
has some something else that you haven't put on the shopping list.
Then look to buy.
Since you are focusing on elevation, I would narrow the search to towns about 2800 ft or up in WNC. That's sorta the line where you may not need AC in the summer. East TN might work too but the elevations of towns tend to be lower than that.
The WNC counties I recommend for being somewhat more remote are Madison, Yancy, Swain, Jackson, Macon and Graham. Probably renting first would make sense and then making the choice to buy if you are not that familiar with the area.
I'm in agreement with most of the posts in this thread. I surely agree you should be focusing your attention along the NC/Tn/Va border. I agree altitude is something that should narrow your search.
There are many areas in the geographic trapezoid between Asheville, NC, Boone, NC, Johnson City, Tn. and Abingdon, Va that will fit your needs. The closer you are to the NC/Tn/Va line, the better (still not cheap) pricing will be when looking for some secluded acreage.
Not western NC, but I love the Southern Pines, Pinehurst areas… Moore County. Southern Pines has a darling downtown area with shops and a park.
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