Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Dag nab it, when will the residents of the White Palace make an attempt at showing the rest of us
how the simple life works and make suggestions on how to make ends meet. 'eh ?
Wait to have kids and then have fewer of them.
The rest is about trying to make up for not having solid job skills...
and that proven ability to earn BEFORE taking on responsibility for other mouths.
I came here about 8 years ago at age 50. I began with a minimum wage job, bought a single wide trailer in a retirement park as that was the cheapest form of housing. I live about 7 miles outside of Hendersonville and have now had several jobs since then. I finally found an industry where I could make a living wage, but it was highly stressful, sometimes dangerous dealing with children and adolescents who have serious mental health issues. Well, it finally broke me down, ended up in the emergency room and am now unable to even hold a part time job. It is a struggle every day, but I at least found a place to live that has a view of the mountains which keeps me going and hopeful that I can mend.
Rent in Hendersonville is slightly lower, but you probably would not be comfortable in those neighborhoods. If you already have a business that is profitable and can be moved here, have enough money to buy a house (to be safe, I would say at least $100,000 to purchase a decent home), you might have a chance. Jobs were much more plentiful when I first moved, but not now.
I wish you luck in finding the right place for yourself. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions you have about this area.
Well, I know all of the previous residents of the white palace were never extravagant in the least. Crazy to have one now who likes BBQ & pets. Right?
But I have to say that while I put myself through college, and have gotten some good breaks here & there, & now have a pretty good salary which easily pays my overpriced rent with a view, I know it could be gone in an instant. This is why I won't buy a house. My company has made an art of laying off people & "optimizing" resources. They've increased productivity requirements & lowered pay across the board. They also favor hiring part-timers now so they can pay less & not offer health insurance. Oh, and most of our internal pc support now goes through people in India. They speak English, however we can't understand them when they speak to us. It isn't very good "support." But its paying off for the ones at the top--share prices are strong (all that matters anymore) & the CEO rakes in a cool $48 mill a year.
But still, I am lucky to be college educated & have a good job, comparatively-speaking. And I feel even luckier that I can empathize & understand how the cards are stacked against so many in the current environment of Greed. There are & always will be free-loaders, but there are too many hardworking people who just can't find work. Or they lost their job in a layoff & then had to foreclose & now can't get a job because their credit is ruined.
The govt is being run by their corporate sponsors. They allow corporations to send most of our jobs overseas & wonder why 16% of the population live in poverty. And that poverty figure is based on a threshold of $23K/yr for a family of 4. Think of what the % really is if we put a more realistic number in there... We should be ashamed...
And they pit dems ag repubs, all the while laughing because both sides in the legislative branch are bought & paid for by Big Money. And no one is paying attention. It IS the congress who passes laws by the way, and they work for the money that elected them or their lobbyists or for the promise of a cushy job when they get out of office...
The three examples I gave of high end retirement cities/towns/areas are not to compare personal tastes or styles, but to point out rents and property prices. All of this comes down to the fact that the entirety of western NC is a tourist and retirement area; and as such, property costs are higher than other areas. Especially property within a small radius of any downtown. Hendersonville, Waynesville, Black Mountain, etc. all have higher rents and higher property values. I always suggest that folks investigate property within a 20 mile (or so) radius of Asheville, or within that radius of a city/town they want to frequent often.
My comment about the economy is relative to the comfort level of people buying property anywhere in this country; and it IS due to the socialites residing at 1600 Pa. Av. who are out of touch with the average person and have created a long term debt and spending problem. NC still has a high unemployment rate, easy enough to look up. Reiterating anything further would be nauseating.
Rents here have not dropped, housing price have. Rents have risen because of so many foreclosures due to job losses as well as second homes lingering on the market which are for rent. People need somewhere to live, landlords have the upper hand. There is very little new construction going on, further reason for rents to rise.
It's going to take a very long time to dig out of this. Just because western NC is "Appalachia" doesn't mean you get, or should expect, sterotypical Appalachian prices. No matter where you go, service jobs don't pay well, Asheville is no different.
Until people can maintain a comfort level that their jobs, pensions, retirement income are secure, their will be slow growth in home buying, but more renters. There is a lot of growth lately in companies moving in to to the Asheville and surrounding area, building new plants, breweries etc. But there are 100 applicants for each job. You can't live on top of your job here if you want to work in the city. Buy a Prius.
And underpaid too. Teachers and firefighters starting out at $28k. Part of the reason why we are moving back to FL.
We wish you well in getting "home". Sometimes a person has to try what they think they want in order to find out it's not what they want. Good time to buy in FL.
Thx QC. I like Asheville, but just not as much as I do some towns in Central FL. Not bashing AVL one bit. I was considering a career change but I just cant live in AVL and get what we want on a $28k salary. So often here, I hear that $30k is "good money," but I cant make it here on that. Perhaps ppl that say that inherited a free house and don't have much as far as bills, but we do. There are other reasons for our move, but pay/cost of living here certainly is one of the reasons.
Thx QC. I like Asheville, but just not as much as I do some towns in Central FL. Not bashing AVL one bit. I was considering a career change but I just cant live in AVL and get what we want on a $28k salary. So often here, I hear that $30k is "good money," but I cant make it here on that. Perhaps ppl that say that inherited a free house and don't have much as far as bills, but we do. There are other reasons for our move, but pay/cost of living here certainly is one of the reasons.
We will definitely come up to visit though!
Many people are drawn to Asheville because of marketing etc., and yes, it is lovely, the views all around etc. But it is expensive to live in Buncombe County, a tourist area; and frankly there are some breathtaking areas throughout western NC. It is understandable, however, that if folks need to work they absolutely have to do homework up front because wages are much lower. (I hope you are not losing money on selling a home, but that is going on just about all over the country. Regardless of the TV hype, the real estate market will be hurting for a long time.)
That is why I always recommend people do much more homework, get out in some of the other counties like Henderson, Rutherfordton, Polk, Transylvania County ... out where the cute-as-a-button small towns are, and cost of living is much lower than near Asheville. IF you have a job.
.... at least you now know where your own sweet spot is.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No matter where you go, service jobs don't pay well, Asheville is no different.
