Living in the mountains

drkelly

Dipstick who put two vehicles on jack stands
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Oak Ridge/Stokesdale, NC
I've been thinking about starting this thread for a long time, and our trip last weekend to Bryson City and Asheville has prompted me to do so. My wife and I both love going to the mountains for the day, a long weekend, or a week vacation. We are talking about buying a lot in the mountains now that we would build a small house/cabin on later when we retire, or just wait until we get closer to retirement and buy an existing small house/cabin (my preference). Our main interest is being close to good hiking trails, and not too ridiculously far from a decent town. I know there are numerous people on this site who live in the mountains of NC. If you could live anywhere in the mountains of NC, where would you live, and why? I guess Eastern TN applies to this topic as well if you would rather live there.
 
I'm from Boone, loved growing up there, but I hate it now.

It's turned into an over-crowded, built up city, stuffed into a small valley full of hot college girls and car wrecks. (There's the pro and con list for ya)

Ashe County is very nice though. I've spent a lot of time in the West Jefferson/Lansing area at my Grandpa's farm and loved it.
 
Ideally the house/cabin would be 20-40 minutes from the closest town up on a ridge. Maybe I should have mentioned that. We are definitely not looking to live right in a city like Boone or any other city of that size in the mountains.
 
IN my honest opinion... the antithesis of "mountain life" is People. Asheville and even outside asheville sucks. The interstate to the candler/canton area sucks. Traffic ruins many things. But the area is also quite badass when it comes to food and brews. Its a pretty violent pro and con list haha.

Do you want to live "on" a mountain, where you driveway is at least 500 yards long from main road and going up? (north and west) Or you just wanting to stay in higher elevation closer to outdoor life areas and unique accomdations (brews, etc)? (south and east)
 
The perfect answer to me used to be Robbinsville....then the damn crotch rocket and sport car crowd ruined that.
Sold our cabin there in 09. Regret not having the get a way, dont regret it not being there now.
 
IN my honest opinion... the antithesis of "mountain life" is People. Asheville and even outside asheville sucks. The interstate to the candler/canton area sucks. Traffic ruins many things. But the area is also quite badass when it comes to food and brews. Its a pretty violent pro and con list haha.

Do you want to live "on" a mountain, where you driveway is at least 500 yards long from main road and going up? (north and west) Or you just wanting to stay in higher elevation closer to outdoor life areas and unique accomdations (brews, etc)? (south and east)

I would like the idea of living "on" a mountain with at least some views. I mentioned Bryson City and Asheville because that is where we went this past weekend (Polar Express and NC Arboretum Winter Lights, plus some hiking on the BRP along the stretch south of Asheville), but that is not necessarily the target area. That is why I am asking for opinions. We are looking to enjoy the outdoor life (hiking, rafting, biking), not to be close to food and drink places.
 
The perfect answer to me used to be Robbinsville....then the damn crotch rocket and sport car crowd ruined that.
Sold our cabin there in 09. Regret not having the get a way, dont regret it not being there now.

My wife has been mentioning Robbinsville because she says the prices for land are good. I didn't know anything about the bikes and cars. So do they just make it kind of annoying to live there because they are constantly buzzing around at high speeds on the curvy mountain roads?
 
Have you looked at Hwy 181, heading north out of Morganton? Jonas Ridge area?

No, have not looked there. I have been mostly looking at places west of Asheville farther into the mountains. I will check out Jonas Ridge. Thanks.
 
When the time comes, I can hook you up with a super realtor who works Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Avery, Alleghany, etc. Currently has 26 land listings.
 
Being from Haywood county AKA God’s country it is definitely my favorite place in the world. There are lots of areas in Haywood county that fits your bill but if I was looking for what you’re after I’d focus on the areas around the Tri-Cities of TN. Also there’s always Evarts Ky.
 
I've been thinking about starting this thread for a long time, and our trip last weekend to Bryson City and Asheville has prompted me to do so. My wife and I both love going to the mountains for the day, a long weekend, or a week vacation. We are talking about buying a lot in the mountains now that we would build a small house/cabin on later when we retire, or just wait until we get closer to retirement and buy an existing small house/cabin (my preference). Our main interest is being close to good hiking trails, and not too ridiculously far from a decent town. I know there are numerous people on this site who live in the mountains of NC. If you could live anywhere in the mountains of NC, where would you live, and why? I guess Eastern TN applies to this topic as well if you would rather live there.

My votes always gonna be east tn but I’m a lil partial. If no other reason but for the lo taxes.I
Assume your talking about somewhere around Roan Mnt?? That’s a nice area but full of thieves and pull heads.


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My votes always gonna be east tn but I’m a lil partial. If no other reason but for the lo taxes.I
Assume your talking about somewhere around Roan Mnt?? That’s a nice area but full of thieves and pull heads.


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Roan Mt area is definitely where your shit will be stolen and car burnt to the ground for no reason. I'd stay away from that meth hole.
 
Avoid Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and Asheville.
Look at Jonas Ridge like others have mentioned.
Don't count out the southwest area of VA. Good access to 81 and 77, decent towns to get to within a reasonable drive.
I agree those towns are crowed with tourism all year and get worse durring ski season. But other places in Avery county are nice. They still have grocery stores and you have Morganton and boone for your major stores. Newland and linville are nice a long with Jonas ridge. I go to Lee's McRae and explore the area and hate ski season.

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My wife has been mentioning Robbinsville because she says the prices for land are good. I didn't know anything about the bikes and cars. So do they just make it kind of annoying to live there because they are constantly buzzing around at high speeds on the curvy mountain roads?

The "Tail of the Dragon" or Deals gap is a section of Highway 129.

Literally 20 years ago we bought our cabin and would go up there and trout fish and see...maybe..maybe 15 cars in a weekend.
At the time the town of Robbinsville consisted of a Texaco with a chicken stand inside of it and an Ingles.

Its a quiet little 2 lane road town.

Now on peak leaf weekend or any other number of biker cruise weekends thousands of cars and bikes converge on the town. Ive seen it take 15 minute to turn out of the Inlges parking lot as a parade of bikers went by. Then there is the incessant humming of sport bikes...avoiding getting ran into by show offs etc.

On the "good side" there is now a few hotels, a wendys, a mcdonalds, a bass pro, and a walgreens
 
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Born and raised here in Asheville. As such, I have seen it's transition into a yuppyfied tourist town. Asheville is surrounded by mountain but not in them. We work and live south of AVL. Where we are, the traffic isn't bad at all as we tend to shop in smaller local towns like Brevard and Hendersonville. We like where we live now as there is no hustle and bustle. We are avid outdoors people and this area is awesome for that.
My wife would pick up and move to Boone in about half a second. However, the job market sucks, real estate prices are inflated and it's too busy. It has turned into a smaller version of Asheville really. Blowing Rock is her shangri-la, but she married a hard working man, not a wealthy one.
For what you want, I'd look towards Madison County NC. You have elevation (cooler temps), more room to spread out but still close to towns. Marshall, Burnsville, Spruce Pine among others are quiet communities.
 
My wife has been mentioning Robbinsville because she says the prices for land are good. I didn't know anything about the bikes and cars. So do they just make it kind of annoying to live there because they are constantly buzzing around at high speeds on the curvy mountain roads?

Yes most popular motorcycle road on the east coast


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Madison Jackson and Haywood would be my picks. Haywood is where I’m from. You have three accesses to the blue ridge parkway, the national park and some really nice national forest to hunt,hike, bike on. Waynesville is nice and hasn’t really blown up like other small towns near Asheville. Asheville is 30 mins from middle of Waynesville. I live in Clyde and take me 30 min to get to my parts house. There are some old farm houses with land for sale near max patch that would fit your bill. In the middle of nowhere but takes hour to get to town and better be ready for snow wheeling During winter


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Roan Mt area is definitely where your shit will be stolen and car burnt to the ground for no reason. I'd stay away from that meth hole.


But Roam mountain does have a sweet fireworks stand run by the volunteer fire department that is pretty cool for fourth of July. Might be the only thing cool there haha
 
Born and raised in Watauga co (Boone) Went to school in Blowing Rock and mom lives there still.(really don't like to visit. Way too many tourist/Floridians. When I moved out I bought a place in Banner Elk. I liked it but got tired of tourist and shitty winter. (I did excavating and winter gets boring!) have a lot of good friends from there still. Moved to Mooresville where I live now and can't stand the people/traffic. Horrible! So I just bought some land (I farm now) In Allegheny co,close to the Ashe side and VA. My GF and I love it there and plan to build a house one day and move. Ashe is pretty nice (moms side is from there) but has started to get more popular around Jefferson but not like Boone/Banner Elk. Allegheny is mostly all farms, trees/hay/cattle dairy. The people are nice (not a lot of out of state people yet, no offense to anyone lol) Land is reasonable. You just have to realize you might have to go off the mtn for things anywhere in that region. I like East TN and feel like I could live there too, or SW VA. Im sure there are areas south of Asheville that are nice, I am just not as familiar, but I would avoid Asheville personally. We have some rodeos there and its a different place lol.
 
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