Vibrant neighborhoods in or around Asheville (Henderson, Hendersonville: for sale, apartment, condo)
Western North CarolinaThe Mountain Region including Asheville
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My husband and I are long time Texas residents and are looking to leave the state for semi-retirement. After living most of our lives in a flat, dry, hot and drought stricken area, we'd love to relocate to a lush, green, mountainous (or at least hilly) place. Asheville popped up in our searches, and we'll be visiting the area this summer. Our needs are (1) no more than a 20 minute drive from a city for medical care, arts, restaurants, etc, (2) good internet for remote work, (3) easy access to daily outdoor activities, (4) a house with a small yard for dogs, not an apartment or condo, and (5) a vibrant neighborhood. The thing we enjoy most about our current neighborhood is that it's very active. There are tons of people out in the mornings and evenings walking, biking and chatting with neighbors, and there are two neighborhood parks and a dog park where many congregate for BBQs and outdoor picnics. One of my favorite things is sitting on our front lawn with my morning coffee (or evening beverage!), chatting with folks as they stroll by. We're looking for a place that also has that sense of community. I will also add that we want to downsize to 800-1000 sq ft and age in place, so we would likely purchase or custom build a small cottage. Black Mountain looks like it might fit the bill, with Lake Tomahawk and its short distance to Asheville.
I was wondering if there were other neighborhoods or towns that might fit our needs? I would love to visit them when we're in Asheville in June.
Last edited by doodlebeh; 04-13-2022 at 07:56 AM..
Our max total budget is $500,000. Given that we'd like a very small lot (perhaps near zero lot line) and a home that's approaching ADU size, we're hoping that we can afford something in the area. West Asheville and Hendersonville are definitely on our radar. We're really interested in a somewhat dense neighborhood with green spaces that we could walk or cycle to. Given that we live in the middle of a bustling city at the moment, living in a lively tourist area is appealing. Weaverville seems a little too quiet? Black Mountain appears to be a busier town, but I can't really tell from just internet sleuthing.
Much of what you describe is what we were looking for as well before we retired. It’s easy to find beautiful towns in WNC, but the type of developments you’re describing are rare. There are two (Champion Hills and Kenmure) in the Hendersonville/Flat Rock area that have a great sense of community with lots of activities. Currently there is nothing for sale in Champion Hills, and the only thing that might fit your budget would be a villa, and they rarely come up for sale. There is currently a condo for sale in Kenmure for $379,000, but it has more square footage than you are looking for. You can look at it on the Beverly Hanks website. It will not be on the market long. Both developments have a lot of green space and are heavily treed. In terms of building, be aware that it is very expensive to build here, compared to TX. Cummings Cove, near Hendersonville, might also be a possibility. I know there is some newer construction there that might work for you. Just not as familiar with this development, so can’t comment on activities or sense of community, but I would imagine it would be comparable to the other two. I encourage you to visit all three when you’re here.
Is the OP interested in one of the "tiny house" communities? If so, there are many listed on the RomanticAsheville site. It is hard to believe that a conventional builder would do a cost-effective job on something under 1000 square feet. They might have better luck looking for an older cottage.
Is the OP interested in one of the "tiny house" communities? If so, there are many listed on the RomanticAsheville site. It is hard to believe that a conventional builder would do a cost-effective job on something under 1000 square feet. They might have better luck looking for an older cottage.
I believe there is a tiny house community in Flat Rock. One of these days I’m going to ride over and take a look.
Wasn't there a recent question about a community of cottages built in the 40s or 50s? They were desirable but rarely came up for sale.
I also thought the OP might look into the log cabin builder which has small models about 1000 to 1100 SF.
Yeah, we realize that it will probably be hard to find a builder for that small of a house. We considered the tiny house community in Flat Rock (Simple Life) because the lifestyle looks like something we'd really enjoy, but they are way too small for us. We'd have to buy 2! We've also been looking at Compact Cottages, the Asheville builder (not the tiny home builder) who specializes in affordable small homes. Their plans start at ~750 sq ft, and they'll build on your land. I'm also absolutely in love with Asheville architect Rusafova Markulis' 950 sq ft Blue House. I've been scanning Zillow for a year now, and somewhat affordable land lots and small homes are definitely out there.... I just don't have a sense for whether they're in a good spot that meets our needs.
My original question was really more about the feel, personality and how vibrant the different neighborhoods and towns are around Asheville, which is hard to truly determine unless you've lived/stayed in the area. Are there areas which look good on paper, but are in reality dead zones because everyone drives elsewhere for community engagement (this describes any number of TX suburbs - you'd never know people were living in them except for the cars going in and out). I'm mostly trying to narrow it down to a few areas for when we visit in June.
Lizap - Thank you for the Beverly Hanks website. It was very helpful!
Yeah, we realize that it will probably be hard to find a builder for that small of a house. We considered the tiny house community in Flat Rock (Simple Life) because the lifestyle looks like something we'd really enjoy, but they are way too small for us. We'd have to buy 2! We've also been looking at Compact Cottages, the Asheville builder (not the tiny home builder) who specializes in affordable small homes. Their plans start at ~750 sq ft, and they'll build on your land. I'm also absolutely in love with Asheville architect Rusafova Markulis' 950 sq ft Blue House. I've been scanning Zillow for a year now, and somewhat affordable land lots and small homes are definitely out there.... I just don't have a sense for whether they're in a good spot that meets our needs.
My original question was really more about the feel, personality and how vibrant the different neighborhoods and towns are around Asheville, which is hard to truly determine unless you've lived/stayed in the area. Are there areas which look good on paper, but are in reality dead zones because everyone drives elsewhere for community engagement (this describes any number of TX suburbs - you'd never know people were living in them except for the cars going in and out). I'm mostly trying to narrow it down to a few areas for when we visit in June.
Lizap - Thank you for the Beverly Hanks website. It was very helpful!
Several small towns (Hendersonville, Weaverville, Black Mountain) in WNC would likely provide the feel you’re looking for. If you want to go a little furthur out, Waynesville and Brevard would be suitable as well.
From the street views of Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain, you can see scores of people out walking and jogging around the lake. I understand why the OP finds this attractive. But the nearby neighborhoods do not have sidewalks, which discourages walking in the neighborhood. Also, the typical small house is a brick ranch on a wide lot, which makes distance between house longer. Seeing the architects' Blue House, I think the OP would prefer an urban area with small lots. Perhaps Hendersonville would be better.
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