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From what we have researched, it seems like rental homes may be a bit out of our budget in Asheville proper. But, what about some surrounding towns maybe 15-20 minutes away? Are there any nice towns surrounding Asheville that have home rentals in a lower price range that you'd recommend?
There are several towns in the Asheville area. You may want to check out Hendersonville. I think the cost of living is slightly lower. They have a small, but growing downtown with several restaurants, antiques stores, even a few art galleries and coffee shops. Not "pulsing" like Asheville, but only about 20 to 30 minute drive to Downtown Asheville.
Yeah, we wouldn't mind having to travel 20 minutes or so to Asheville. We've had to the same thing here in the Verde Valley, AZ - we live in a very small town, but we work in Sedona which is 20 minutes away. Pretty much anything we do outside of our home requires that drive: shopping, socializing, dining, employment, etc.
We have been looking at a lot of rentals on craigslist, and we keep noticing ads for cabins/cottages in the surrounding areas that go for pretty cheap rent. Some are small, some are large, 3 bedroom cabins. What do you know about these cabins? Sometimes, the rents seem a little too good to be true. Are these primarily short-term rentals for visitors and tourists, or are they viable, practical living spaces for long-term? My husband and I have no problem with living in a small cabin tucked away in the woods, but close to the city...
Oh, and thanks to those of you who have taken the time to share your insights with us!
With the kind of jobs you listed, expect to struggle. For some its worth it, or its how they area already living so their thoughts are why not live somewhere nice? But for me with a BS and graduate certificates, I'm packing as we speak. And honestly, its breaking my heart, I've grown up here, have some family left, and would never want to live anywhere else. But the reality is I have student loans to pay and dreams of at least making a living wage sometime in my lifetime.
Unless you go with an apartment complex, I really doubt you will find a house in that budget in all of WNC that isn't falling apart. And I personally don't think hendersonville is any cheaper, and its probably more of a 30-45 minute drive from asheville depending where you work. Most of those craigslist cabins are probably listing by week because they are vacation rentals/ and or a scam.
Just to give you an idea: I'm paying 800 a month for a 100 year old 900sq house without AC. This month my bills were: 300 dollars propane bill, 100 dollar electric, and internet of 30. For this place, I looked for several months and it was the best thing I found and I jumped right on it.
Wow, Saucy; your utilities are high for 900 sf. That old house must not be insulated. I am quite happy with $51/mo. natural gas heat & hw; $53/mo. electric; $45 high speed internet. House size is 1500 sf. in the county with city water.
I would recommend that the OP search the Asheville newspaper: www.citizens-times.com and also do a search for property management companies in the areas they are interested in. There are several that handle only home and condo rentals. I had suggested to another poster that they check out Brittany Place in Hendersonville, 2 mi. from the interstate and very nice. They have a website with the prices. (I am not affiliated in any way, just passing on the information).
Last edited by QuilterChick; 01-31-2011 at 06:10 AM..
Reason: added
Yea quilterchick that's the exact problem. On cold windy nights I can just feel the cold air coming in. I tried to chaulk what I could, but since its not my house, I can't spend tons of money trying to fix it. Plus the landlord has put in the cheapest appliances they can find in so none of them are energy star or anything. But honestly, this house was the nicest we saw while looking in for anything $800 or under for 2 bedrooms.
The only option for somewhere to live under $800 a month would be a single wide trailer. I know a few people who rent them because they just cannot afford anything else. 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, 15 to 20 year old, 800 sq to 1000 sq ft single wides typically rent for around $500 to $600 a month. if on private land, if in a park then you also will have lot rent on top of that, lot rents typically go for around $200 to $300 a month.
Double wides on the other hand (no pun intended) rent for about double, $800 to $1000 a month. If they are in a park then sometime they can go a little less because of having to pay lot rent.
Another thing some people don’t seem to understand is that most places you rent, the rent does not cover utilities. Whatever your rent is, that is just for the privilege to live in that building. If you want water, electricity, cable, internet, phone, gas, etc...Then you have to go out to those companies, put a deposit down, get it turned over into your name & then make the monthly payments.
Here are some names of property management companies and home rental companies that are highly recommended. (They have websites, but when I post them in a list here, I lose the reply): (Google for these)
Also, if you call a few of the major real estate offices/franchises in Hendersonville, many of their agents own nice rental properties. You can definitely find nice claen up to date rental property here in the $700 to $900 price range.
(I have no affiliation, and no monetary interest, with any of these companies, just offering helpful information.)
Yea quilterchick that's the exact problem. On cold windy nights I can just feel the cold air coming in. I tried to chaulk what I could, but since its not my house, I can't spend tons of money trying to fix it. Plus the landlord has put in the cheapest appliances they can find in so none of them are energy star or anything. But honestly, this house was the nicest we saw while looking in for anything $800 or under for 2 bedrooms.
I would really recommend not trying to find a house to rent or buy in Asheville. Maybe years ago, it was easy to find a house to rent for $600-$700, OP, but not now!
Tell me something.. are the housing prices in AZ only $600-$700 a month? That's pretty cheap!
The prices are through the roof now in AVL. Even though everyone in the rest of the country, had falling home prices, these prices in Asheville stayed about the same, for some reason.
They've built up this place so much, the traffic is very heavy, even on secondary roads. Plus you got lots of folks who will ride close to your bumper, and that gets very dangerous. Cannot count how many new cars with bumps or dents on their back bumpers in recent years.
Hendersonville, while more conservative, probably has much better homes. I know of people who have rented homes in that area, that paid maybe $600-$700. You could try Brevard, but that's an hour's drive from Asheville. Though they have a college there, and a great music place, plus lots of hiking, and it's close to S. Carolina too. Not very pulsy, but probably more affordable.
If it were me, I'd probably try Greenville, SC. They have lots more jobs & the housing is cheaper.
Also, make sure if you do rent a house, you get everything in writing, if you want something fixed on the house, before you move in. We've got lots of negligent landlords in this area, unfortunately. We had a friend whose roof was leaking all the time, and the landlord wouldn't do a thing about it! We used to go visit them and they'd have buckets all over their apt, trying to catch the water.
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